Cinema Scholars reviews Adele Lim’s hilarious new comedy, Joy Ride. The film stars Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola, and Sabrina Wu. Lionsgate is releasing Joy Ride in theaters nationwide on July 7, 2023.
Introduction
What makes a great comedy film? There are many formulas, but it takes a special combination of factors for the humor to really hit the funny bone. In one well-worn comedy trope, a group of curious characters find themselves in some sort of predicament. While solving a central issue, they learn and grow from each other with laughs and perhaps a few sniffles along the way.
When done right, this special brand of situational comedy can lend itself to all manner of zany and ridiculous gags. Checking all these boxes and more, Adele Lim’s Joy Ride is not only one of the funniest films of the year, but it’s also a heartfelt discussion on friendship and identity.
STEPHANIE HSU, SABRINA WU, ASHLEY PARK, AND SHERRY COLA IN “JOY RIDE.” CREDIT: ED ARAQUEL/LIONSGATE
Synopsis
In Joy Ride, Audrey is a focused 20-something Chinese American rising through the ranks at her bro-filled law firm. When a clutch deal with a potential business partner in China is on the table, Audrey uses the cultural card to convince her boss that she’s the best person to nab the lucrative contract. Soon, she is making plans for Beijing with only a few glaring problems. Audrey was raised by corn-fed white Americans, she only speaks a couple Duolingo’s worth of Chinese, and she’s never even stepped foot on her native soil.
Enter Audrey’s BFF and consummate provocateur, Lolo, and her hilariously awkward cousin Deadeye. Both fluent in Chinese and regular visitors, Audrey hesitantly lets them tag along for moral support. Plus, a reunion with Kat, her party girl college bestie who is now a C-drama star, what could possibly go wrong? The answer is a whole lot and with side-splitting results.
Discussion
Joy Ride is the raunchy, rip-roaring comedy this summer needs. You know the kind of movie where you miss a joke because you’re still laughing too hard from the previous one? Lim’s knee-slapping ode to the female Asian-American experience is packed with these moments and more.
SABRINA WU AS DEADEYE, ASHLEY PARK AS AUDREY, STEPHANIE HSU AS KAT, AND SHERRY COLA AS LOLO IN “JOY RIDE.” PHOTO CREDIT: ED ARAQUEL.
Like the mirthful shock when cute little Lolo violently defends tiny Audrey against a racist playground bully in an initial flashback. Or the fateful Beijing business outing where Audrey’s party prowess tragically fails while trying to win over her potential business partner. Then there’s the wild night the friends have when their trip finds them with a professional basketball team, including one of the funniest sex escapade sequences ever.
And we haven’t even gotten to the uproarious drug-smuggling scene, the glam K Pop/Cardi B musical sequence, or the tattoo one character had infamously inked “down there.” Yes y’all, these are but mere examples of Joy Ride’s non-stop laughs and cries of, ”Oh no they didn’t!”
Further Analysis
Beyond the debauched shock value, the veteran writer/first-time director also tells a touching story about friendship and how it evolves throughout our lives. Though Lolo has always been her ride-or-die, Audrey has slowly begun to outgrow her outspoken and eccentric friend’s ways. This is further complicated by the introduction of her college “bestie” who shares a different kind of bond with their mutual friend. On the other end of the spectrum (possibly the neurodivergent spectrum too) Deadeye finds difficulty navigating normal friendships altogether.
Another theme woven throughout the mayhem of Joy Ride is the importance of identity. While addressing and eviscerating racial stereotypes, the film takes into account the cultural gatekeeping people of American-Asian descent often face in the U.S. as well as abroad. Obvious jokes call out familiar pervasive prejudices, but more subtle nods to unreasonable discrimination between different Eastern nationalities illustrate xenophobic tendencies within the Asian culture too.
STEPHANIE HSU AS KAT, SHERRY COLA AS LOLO, ASHLEY PARK AS AUDREY, AND SABRINA WU AS DEADEYE IN “JOY RIDE.” PHOTO CREDIT: ED ARAQUEL.
And then, of course, there’s the identity crisis many Asian Americans experience walking the line between being American and still honoring their native roots. Or in Audrey’s case, a complete disconnect from said roots, and how she is unfairly judged by all of the above.
Performances
As Audrey, Ashley Park does an admirable job harnessing the frustration any woman has trying to get ahead at a male-dominated job, especially as an Asian-American woman. Park easily exudes the type-A vibes of her ambitious character, serving as the proverbial straight man as all madness around her ensues. As the adventures continue, however, Audrey’s aggressive demeanor gives way to strife and confusion as she makes discoveries about herself and questions her sense of identity.
No road trip flick would be complete without a supporting cast of colorful cohorts. Sherry Cola keeps it weird as Audrey’s original BFF. Her antics and constant comic relief keep the mischief rolling, but not in the typical, “I’m the crazy one” kind of way. As Deadeye, Sabrina Wu nails the oddball character of the crew. For a film that addresses racial inequities, the addition and acceptance of a character whose behaviors fall slightly outside of social norms seems a natural fit.
Furthermore, Wu’s straightforward and earnest performance uniquely punctuates the heavier themes of the film with a much-needed sense of clarity. And as reformed party girl Kat, Stephanie Hsu continues to shine. Her take on the bad-girl-turned-good is ridiculous in all the right ways. From wooing businessmen to heroically resisting the advances of an ex-boyfriend, Hsu’s Kat is definitely more than just another friend.
Conclusion
Joy Ride is raunchy, rebellious, hysterical, and thoughtful all at once. Make no mistake, the film is a comedy through and through. But the clever combination of laughs and commentary is what makes the humor hum. Show up for the nonstop laughs, gags, and borderline depraved humor, but stay for the unexpectedly poignant moments and deeper meaning about friendship, identity, and acceptance.
Lionsgate is releasing Joy Ride in theaters nationwide on July 7, 2023.
Cinema Scholars reviews Adele Lim's hilarious new comedy, Joy Ride. The film stars Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola, and Sabrina Wu. Lionsgate is releasing Joy Ride in theaters nationwide on July 7, 2023.
Introduction
What makes a great comedy film? There are many formulas, but...JOY RIDE: A Review Of Adele Lim's Hilarious New Comedy
