The Stream: Some pranks don’t hit like they should

The Big Screen: Some funny gags with real life reactions

The Final Bill: A solid storyline mixed with hit or miss pranks makes for a good pass-the-time watch

– S2S: Movie Review
Director: Kitao Sakurai
Writers: Eric André (story by), Kitao Sakurai (story by) | 4 more credits »
Stars: Eric André, Michaela Conlin, Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish | See full cast & crew »
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hour 19 minutes
Platform: Netflix 26 March 2021

Hey, Streamers, we’re back in action. Spring is coming and it’s time for a good ole road trip. Bad Trip, that is. Yes, we could’ve reviewed Zac Snyder’s Justice League but really that’s a quick review. It was better than the first but extra long, somewhat entertaining and sets up a cooler universe than Whedon’s but realistically both were big box films for entertainment value. Ok, done with that. Back to Bad Trip.

Bad Trip, which was going to release in theaters last year but was delayed, was released this past weekend on Netflix. The movie is described as a mix of a buddy road trip comedy and an unscripted hidden camera prank show. Viewers follow the ridiculous calamities of two best friends, Lil Rel and Eric Andre, who are stuck in a rut and venture on a road trip to NYC. The storyline sets up shocking real pranks and other hijinks.

The easiest way to explain this is as the black version of Borat with a mix of “Impractical Jokers.” Pretty much once you say that you know how this is going to go. Lil Rel, Tiffany Haddish, and Eric Andre all do their best in these pranks or voyeur comedy. The problem becomes some of the scenes fall hella short. Something just doesn’t feel right at times. Some skits may crack you up, but other skits seems like they should be funny and then 5 minutes go by and you’re thinking… that didn’t hit like I expected. In that way, Borat is more successful than Bad Trip. Where I do think this movie succeeds is that the storyline is way more relatable than something like Borat. In a way, it makes it more fun and funnier to watch. Yes, it’s ridiculous, but it’s not on the Borat extreme. In a way, I can relate to it much more or can at least put myself in their shoes, which makes it overall more successful. The scenes struggle a bit a times when everyone knows what Tiffany Haddish looks like but her scenes are still solid.

Needless to say, Bad Trip would not be worth watching in the movie theater but streaming… Go ahead and get your laugh on. This is a potheads delight. Enjoy a big bowl of popcorn watching some silly pranks.