From director Kitao Sakurai (The Eric Andre Show), Bad Trip is a 2021 part scripted and part improvised prank style buddy comedy that follows two friends as they embark on a cross-country road trip where they prank people using hidden cameras along the way. Best friends Chris and Bud make the trip from Florida to NYC so Chris can declare his love to his high school crush.
They decide to borrow Bud’s sisters hot pink car plastered in “Bad Bi*tch” for the trip figuring she is in jail and won’t need it anytime soon. Unfortunately for them, she breaks out and is soon hot on their trail. The film stars Eric André, Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish, and Michaela Conlin.
Bad Trip was originally slated for a theatrical release but was dealt numerous delays due to COVID-19 and was eventually acquired by Netflix.
The Good
I will be the first to admit that I had my reservations with this movie, the prank style is hit or miss in general but add in the scripted element and it could easily become a slippery slope, but I am happy to say that it worked, and worked well. I laughed my ass off for the majority of this movie, and really liked how everything came together. Because they went with the part-scripted style, the actors never broke character even when it was just them. Eric André and Lil Rel Howery had fantastic chemistry, and both actors pulled their weight equally. Simply put, these two are hilarious together. I was also very pleased with Tiffany Haddish in her role as the tough as nails vengeful sister.
I constantly found myself thinking “wow, how could this possibly be happening with real people”, but the surprised reactions were absolutely genuine and priceless. It was cool to see some of the outtakes during the credits showing when they came clean with the hidden cameras. Director Kitao Sakurai is very familiar with André from The Eric Andre Show, and their comfort level definitely seemed to benefit the overall quality of the film. This movie was just a ton of fun and it’s a breeze at less than an hour and a half.
The Bad
I mean, it’s not perfect, but in such a unique genre Bad Trip checks all of the necessary boxes. For most people the biggest negative would likely be the excessive raunchy and tasteless choice of humor and lack of substance, but what would you expect all things considered? I would say that half the jokes have a fair chance of rubbing some people the wrong way, but if you keep an open mind, you’ll be fine and be glad you gave it a chance.
The Verdict
A scripted prank comedy as raunchy as it is over the top, Eric André and Lil Rel Howery shine with great chemistry and keep the laughs coming in Bad Trip. The movie itself is pretty ridiculous and may not be for everyone, but the creativity along with the commitment from the entire crew and cast impressed me and I thought it was hilarious. This is the perfect movie to throw on and decompress after a long week, so what are you waiting for? I’ll be watching it again sooner than later. Recommended.
TED TAKES RATING - 7.5/10
Bad Trip is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the trailers below.