Movie Review: ‘Joy Ride’

Go on a girls’ trip of a lifetime in Adele Lim’s comedy ‘Joy Ride,’ filled with hilarious and raunchy jokes and tons of heartfelt moments. Receiving glowing reviews after its premiere at SXSW, the film will hit theaters on July 7th.

The story of ‘Joy Ride’ follows Audrey, Lolo, Kat, and Deadeye as they embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international trip. While in China, Lolo convinces Audrey to search for her birth mom, but a series of mishaps throws everything off-course and tests their friendship.

The movie stars Ashley Park (‘Beef’) as Audrey, Sherry Cola (‘Shortcomings’) as Lolo, Stephanie Hsu (‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’) as Kat, and Sabrina Wu as Deadeye. Directed by Adele Lim and written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Teresa Hsiao, and Adele Lim.

Initial Thoughts

Based on the red band trailer for ‘Joy Ride,’ one may go into this movie thinking it’s a comedy in the same vein as ‘The Hangover,’ ‘Bridesmaids,’ or ‘Girls Trip.’ The film has plenty of hilarious and shocking moments, but at its core, it is about the strength of friendship and the journey of self-discovery. This movie will have audiences laughing out loud and crying their eyes out, all at the same time.

Story, Direction, and Representation

Director Adele Lim on the set of ‘Joy Ride.’ Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate. Copyright © 2023 Lionsgate.

The screenplay written by Adele Lim, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, and Teresa Hsiao hits the perfect balance of comedy and heart. We have seen it in many road-tripping comedies – a group of friends go on a trip of a lifetime, a series of unfortunate events throw everything into chaos, and hilarity ensues. But ‘Joy Ride’ doesn’t put jokes in it just for the sake of being raunchy or shocking. Yes, there are moments that’ll make you belly laugh and slightly uncomfortable, and it’s what makes this movie fun. But Lim knew when the jokes had run its course and didn’t feel the need to rehash it until it was no longer funny.

Some of the best moments to watch for are the interaction between the four friends – Audrey, Lolo, Deadeye, and Kat. The four leads have fantastic chemistry and comedic timing, which elevates the movie. Lolo is Audrey’s childhood best friend and is going on the trip as her interpreter since Audrey doesn’t speak Chinese. Lolo’s unapologetic personality directly juxtaposes Audrey’s “play-by-the-rules” nature and sometimes causes the group to get in trouble. Then there’s the tension between Lolo and Kat – Audrey’s best friend (and roommate) from college who is a famous actress in China. The two constantly bickered and tried to one-up each other for who was a better friend to Audrey. This leads to a hysterical moment at the bar where Audrey is supposed to close her business deal.

(L to R) Stephanie Hsu as Kat, Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Ashley Park as Audrey, and Sherry Cola as Lolo in ‘Joy Ride.’

Sabrina Wu’s Deadeye is perhaps the quietest member of the group – and the funniest. Their quirky and shy disposition almost makes them the outsider of the group, but it’s also their sincere and earnest demeanor that makes them the heart of the group.

As most of the film takes place in China, plenty of Chinese is spoken. And as someone who is bilingual, hearing Chinese in a film always feels comforting, but hearing the jokes in Chinese got some of the biggest laughs out of me.

An R-rated comedy about a group of friends going on a road trip isn’t new – but having four Asian female leads being raunchy and loud breaks the stereotype that Asian women are reserved. In ‘Joy Ride’, the women take the rein on their sexuality and identity, unapologetically.

Related Article: Stephanie Hsu and Ashley Park Discuss Universality of ‘Joy Ride’

A Heartfelt Story About Self-Identity And Self Discover

(L to R) Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Sherry Cola as Lolo, Stephanie Hsu as Kat, Ashley Park as Audrey, and in ‘Joy Ride.’ Photo: Ed Araquel/Lionsgate. © 2023 Lionsgate.

In ‘Joy Ride,’ the story centers on Ashley Park’s character Audrey. As a Chinese adoptee growing up in a mostly-white town, she never connected to her roots. Her business trip to China allows her to look for her birth mother, and at Lolo’s behest, she agrees to look for her.

As the film goes on, we learn that Audrey often feels she doesn’t belong – she doesn’t feel Asian because she doesn’t speak the language or have any other connection to her roots. Her friends joke about her being white, except that she’s not. “I don’t belong anywhere,” Audrey says in the movie as her frustration finally gets the best of her.

Audrey’s struggle with identity rings true for many Asian Diaspora, often being told they don’t belong here or there. Navigating this space can be quite lonely because no matter how close-knit the family or circle of close friends, they’ll say, “You’re not really Chinese” because they’ve grown up in the United States or vice versa. For me, seeing the character go through that experience feels validating, and it gave the movie an unexpected but welcoming emotional tone.

Final Thoughts

‘Joy Ride’ is the funniest movie of the year. The jokes are well-timed and hilarious, and the tender moments between the friends will tug at your heartstring. Lim, Chevapravatdumrong, and Hsiao know when to get raunchy and when to get serious without it feeling cheesy. They struck the perfect balance between comedy and emotional moments, and it’s so satisfying to watch.

‘Joy Ride’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.

(L to R) Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Ashley Park as Audrey, Stephanie Hsu as Kat and Sherry Cola as Lolo in ‘Joy Ride.’ Photo: Ed Araquel/Lionsgate. © 2023 Lionsgate.

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‘Joy Ride’ is produced by Lionsgate, Point Grey Pictures, and Red Mysterious Hippo. It is set to release in theaters on July 7th, 2023.