Vacation Friends Review: A Hilarious Cena Makes This A Comedy Trip Worth Taking

Release date: August 27, 2021
Running time: 105 minutes

Director, Clay Tarver

Writers, Tom Mullen, Clay Tarver

Stars: John Cena, Lil Rel Howery, Meredith Hagner, Yvonne Orji

In this raw and raunchy comedy, strait-laced Marcus and Emily (Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji) are befriended by wild, thrill-seeking partiers Ron and Kyla (John Cena, Meredith Hagner) at a resort in Mexico. Living in the moment, the usually level-headed couple lets loose to enjoy a week of uninhibited fun and debauchery with their new “vacation friends.” Months after their walk on the wild side, Marcus and Emily are horrified when Ron and Kyla show up uninvited at their wedding, creating chaos and proving that what happens on vacation, doesn’t necessarily stay on vacation.

Your enjoyment of Vacation Friends will turn on how much you like the main cast of Cena, Lil Rel Howery, Meredith Hagner, and Yvonne Orji.  They all play very different characters that are fun to watch and sometimes don't work well together, but that is the point of the film.  But there is a consistent thread of craziness, drug humor, and downright insanity that permeates this film.  Sometimes it can be tough to watch but there are so many laugh out loud moments that will make you smile and wish you were vacationing with this crazy group.  From the drug humor, to the crazy stunts, to the drug humor, to the drugs, this film has plenty to keep you entertained.  And of all the characters, Cena is the most fun to watch.  I love how he really goes all into his roles and takes everything to an extreme; his friendship is extreme, his insanity is extreme, and all of it is fun to watch. 

And through all of this you have some genuine insights into friendship and love, despite how crazy and packed with baggage those insights come with.  And there are some genuine surprises throughout the movie as you learn more about this crazy group of friends and their equally dysfunctional family.  However, although Vacation friends is a very funny movie, the humor seems to stick to similar subjects.  This isn't necessarily bad as they are very funny subjects, but the movie can start to have a sense of familiarity partway through.  And as with this type of film, the humor can be anxiety inducing as Kyla and Ron do some pretty ridiculous things.  But equally anxiety inducing is Marcus and Emily's reaction to some of their misplaced but genuinely sweet sentiments.  And the film does seem to go on a little too long, though it's by no means an egregious runtime.  I just wish that there was a little trimmed in the middle to make it snappier.

Vacation Friends will take you on a crazy trip with a hilarious Cena and Hagner, plenty of laugh out loud moments, insane situations, and some genuine heart. 

Rent it.

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Vacation Friends premieres on August 27, 2021 exclusively on Hulu. 

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