‘Joy Ride’ Gleefully Objectifies Guys—and That’s a Good Thing

Any movie that features a group of friends butt-chugging and hoarding cocaine between various parts of their body should be considered with the utmost highest regard. Joy Ride features such a scene. Because of that alone, the sex comedy should be the romp of the summer. The movie nearly achieves that, but it falls short of total amusement.

Still, coming in at just over 90 minutes, Joy Ride, a fast-paced, whip-smart R-rated comedy, is worth a boisterous theatrical viewing. Adele Lim’s flick fits in with the likes of Bridesmaids and Girls Trip—which is to say, underneath all the big schlongs and frequent tonguing, there’s actual emotional depth. After the characters do 80 lines of coke or show off their “pussy tats,” they also muse about their identity, question their choices as young Asian women, and analyze their friendships with each other. That might sound like a wonky tonal balance. And yet, Joy Ride manages to feel breezy, while still touching on the sentimental parts of friendship.

Though most of the movie follows a group of four late-twentysomethings on their “first annual friends trip,” the main conflict is between Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola). The pair have been best friends since their parents forced them to play together in kindergarten. Audrey was adopted from China by white parents as a baby, and she has constantly struggled with her identity while living in Seattle: She can’t eat more than just a dash of spicy chili oil, but at the same time, her peers have always profiled her as the smart Asian girl. Spunky, headstrong Lolo, who has always been confident in her Chinese identity, is the perfect foil to Audrey’s coil of nerves.

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