At first glance, Joy Ride seems to be ticking a lot of the same boxes as other contemporary comedies. An unexpected trip brings together a group of unlikely "friends" to take a journey of self-discovery. To succeed, these types of movies need to be able to follow the standard set-up with strong unique execution or risk being forgotten in a sea of similar releases. Luckily, Joy Ride absolutely nails it with a fully committed cast bringing the hilarious and heartfelt script to life. Taking a standard formula and making it their own, Joy Ride is an absolute blast.
The film focuses on Audrey (Girls5eva's Ashley Park), a young woman adopted as an infant from China and raised in an American household. Having spent her whole life teased by her best friend Lolo (Sherry Cola) for her perceived "whiteness," a business trip to China for her law firm gives her a chance to reconnect with her roots. Lolo's awkward cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) accompanies them, with the trio soon adding Audrey's college roommate and TV actress Kat (Stephanie Hsu) to their number. As more and more complications arise and send the foursome across China and beyond, Audrey is forced to confront the way she sees herself and who she wants to be.
From the start, Joy Ride is hilarious -- quickly establishing itself with a sardonic but heartfelt tone that carries throughout the film. The screenplay by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao (based on a story by the pair and Director Adele Lim) is hilarious, with a deft mix of character beats, sight gags, and unexpected turns that keeps audiences guessing at every turn. But the script's emotional turns don't feel cheapened by the film's otherwise full-throated embrace of chaos. Those moments reinforce the characters at the heart of the film, who actively engage with conflict and chaos.
The screenplay knows when to be silly and when to pull back, a delicate balancing act that Joy Ride accomplishes with aplomb. Themes of authenticity, personal acceptance, and situational friendships all work together around the film's central story. Lim directs it all well and has a keen eye for visual gags that provide some of the film's biggest laughs. The film's more chaotic moments sing with comic energy and hint at Lim's confidence even though this is her directorial debut.
Joy Ride is rooted in highlighting its central four characters, who all get to balance comedy with some very effective character beats. All four are fantastic in their respective roles, especially as the film touches on the more dramatic elements of their character arcs. Park gets the most variety to play with and absolutely nails the character's quieter beats, while Cola adds an innate sweetness and bite to the standard best friend role. Hsu is hilarious, an actress trying her best to project a squeaky clean image even as her more carefree past resurfaces. But special mention has to go to Wu, who finds a delicate balance between traditional "the awkward one" weirdness and more layered acting to create a bizarre but endearing character.
Joy Ride tackles a lot of heavy topics, but never in distracting ways. It raises questions about identity -- especially with a perfectly executed couple of swerves that highlight the weight of the film's thematic introspection and character exploration. That it manages to do all that while being uproariously funny is a true testament to the talent behind the scenes and in front of the camera, producing one of the year's best comedies. It's a film that feels incredibly authentic to its central characters and perspective, but -- much like the similarly fantastic The Blackening -- does so with enough universal charm and wit that it's impossible not to have a good time.
Joy Ride comes to theaters on July 7.