How does one of the most memorable nights of fun and
pleasure that you could possibly imagine turn into a fright fest of horrors
that you can’t escape? Murdering a stripper while you’re high on drugs is how,
which is the pickle these five friends found themselves in! There’s been a few
movies with the same premise that have debuted over the past few decades, but
now first-time director Lucia Aniello wanted to take her swing at the
material with all her style and flavor. With a popular, well-known cast, this
film is certain to gain your attention, but with familiar material what’s the
point of rehashing what’s been done before (even though that’s nearly all films
today)? Delivering the laughs is the point. This film is marketed as a comedy,
as it should be. If you’re interested in a deep seeded plot that will inspire
you to do wonderful things, keep searching. Though even after viewing, if
you’re on the fence on recommending it to others don’t feel guilty, because
every two laughs the cast brings on, another makes a horrible plot decision
frustrating you to no end.
What’s great within the plot early on is it didn’t
rush to the adventure to see women get plastered and then make you assume these
women are friends because the film told you so. The opening scenes have meaning
later in the film that elevates the experience once things are getting heated.
It’s believable too, regarding the conversations that led to their expedition.
Jess (Scarlett Johansson) has her head on straight with a future in
politics, Alice (Jillian Bell) is the wild crazy friend that brings life
to the party, Frankie (Ilana Glazer) is a hypocritical free-spirited
bird that doesn’t think twice, Kiwi/Pippa (Kate McKinnon) is just odd,
and Blair (Zoe Kravitz) is a straightforward yet disappointing character.
Blair is a letdown due to her character not having anything positive going for
her except to be passed around like a tossup. The rest of the friends aren’t
perfect angels either, but their actions fit their personality. They didn’t
have Blair do anything but look pretty in a role that doesn’t suit her. While
Kiwi is funny at times, she’s playing the exact same role she did last year in Ghostbusters,
which is make silly faces while tilting your head towards the camera. Everyone
else fit their roles as you would expect.
What’s unforgivable though is some of the decisions
the characters made while trying to cover their tracks. Whether you’re a
professional criminal or born yesterday, whether you’ve seen it on TV or heard
it through the grapevine, moving a dead body is the ultimate no no during a
crime scene. I feel everyone should know this by default. The predicament these
ladies were in could’ve easily been explained to the authorities, making them
as innocent as they should be, but the writing team decided to not use common
sense. The reason behind it makes it even worse. If pizza is being delivered,
crack the door and pay or go outside to pay. There’s no reason to move the
body. There’s no amount of panic that would cause a sane person to ignore these
instructions, but again I guess the writer got sleepy and rushed to the
printer. There’s a few more WTF moments like this throughout the film that make
you want to bang your head against the ground, yet the film goes on. It’s not
clear why driving across the country in diapers so you won’t have to stop to
urinate is a smart move, but forgetting you have to get out of the car anyway
for gas is completely ignored. I could go on and on, but fortunately either
before or after these moronic decisions are made one if not all of the
characters are acting up and making you laugh until the end.
So, the characters may not be the sharpest in the
bunch, and some of the plot devices are not thought through, but seeing the
entire cast run around is hilarious. You can’t help yourself but laugh from beginning
to end. There aren’t many jokes, but there are funny real life moments you
possibly could relate to, which is rich in comedy. This film is filled with one
of the most boring bachelor parties you could think of, but seeing the men
enjoy it unforgivably is at times funnier than the women’s bachelorette party, which
is supposed to steal the show. The guys are just being themselves, and for some
reason that works with them all being innocent men who just want to help. The
funniest in the bunch is Alice, whom most audience members will be able to
relate to. We all have that one friend who always takes it too far, but you
still love them and might even take a bullet for them. Even with the
predictable fall out between friends in a three-act film structure, it still
had substance when Alice and Jess hit a crossroad. And it’s the warm moment they
share that makes the overall experience worth it.
Rough Night isn’t a classic film that will be
remembered for all time, but it’s not meant to be either. If you’re a fan of
the cast and want a good laugh, then you’re in the right place. Even though
some of the details within the plot are sour, the comedy makes up for it in the
end. While the story plays on, and feels like it’s coming to an end, the plot
continues to thicken piquing your interest more from moments before. Not
knowing how it would end, it’s ending is respectable, and you won’t see it coming.
At the same time it is not shocking either. It’s just a raunchy R-Rated comedy
that makes a good escape for a good hour and a half.
7/10