movie reviews for joy ride

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Movie Reviews

Buckle up: this mile-a-minute 'joy ride' across china is a raunchy romp.

Justin Chang

Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), left, Audrey (Ashley Park), Lolo (Sherry Cola) and Kat (Stephanie Hsu) in Joy Ride. Ed Araquel/Lionsgate hide caption

Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), left, Audrey (Ashley Park), Lolo (Sherry Cola) and Kat (Stephanie Hsu) in Joy Ride.

There's an early moment in Joy Ride when you'll know if you're on board with this exuberantly raunchy comedy or not. On a neighborhood playground, a white kid tells a young Chinese American girl named Lolo that the place is off-limits to "ching chongs."

Lolo then does something that maybe a lot of us who've been on the receiving end of racist bullying have fantasized about doing: She drops an F-bomb and punches him in the face. It's an extreme response, but also a hilarious and, frankly, cathartic one — a blissfully efficient counter to every stereotype of the shy, docile Asian kid.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

These are the new movies and tv shows we can't wait to watch this summer.

Lolo soon becomes best friends with Audrey, one of the only other Asian American girls in their Washington state suburb. That aside, the two could hardly be more different: Where Lolo is unapologetically crude and outspoken, Audrey is quiet and eager-to-please. And while Lolo speaks Mandarin fluently and grew up steeped in Chinese culture, Audrey is more westernized, having been adopted as a baby in China and raised by white parents.

Years later, they're still best friends and total opposites: Audrey, played by Ashley Park, is a lawyer on the fast track to making partner at her firm, while Lolo, played by Sherry Cola, is a broke artist who makes sexually explicit sculptures.

The story gets going when Audrey is sent on a business trip to Beijing to woo a potential client. Lolo comes along for fun, and to serve as Audrey's translator. Lolo also brings along her K-pop-obsessed cousin, nicknamed Deadeye, who's played by the non-binary actor Sabrina Wu.

The script, written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, is heavy on contrivance: Thanks to Lolo's meddling, Audrey winds up putting her work on hold and trying to track down her birth mother. But the director Adele Lim keeps the twists and the laughs coming so swiftly that it's hard not to get swept up in the adventure.

I'm Really Into

Why 'everything everywhere all at once' feels more like reality than movie magic.

The comedy kicks up a notch once Audrey looks up her old college pal Kat, who's now a successful actor on a Chinese soap opera. Kat is played by Stephanie Hsu , who, after her melancholy breakout performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once , gets to show off some dazzling comedic chops here .

Like Lolo, with whom she initially butts heads, Kat has had a lot of sex, something she's trying to hide from her strictly Christian fiancé. But no one in Joy Ride holds onto their secrets, or their inhibitions, for very long. As they make their way through the scenic countryside, Audrey, Lolo, Kat and Deadeye run afoul of a drug dealer, hook up with some hunky Chinese basketball players and disguise themselves as a fledgling K-pop group for reasons too outlandish to get into here.

'Never Have I Ever' Complicates Its Asian American Characters. That's The Whole Point

In a way, Joy Ride — which counts Seth Rogen as one its producers — marks the latest step in a logical progression for the mainstream Hollywood comedy. If Bridesmaids and Girls Trip set out to prove that women could be as gleefully gross as, say, the men in The Hangover movies, this one is clearly bent on doing the same for Asian American women and non-binary characters.

Like many of those earlier models, Joy Ride boasts mile-a-minute pop-culture references, filthy one-liners and a few priceless sight gags, including some strategic full-frontal nudity. Naturally, it also forces Audrey and Lolo to confront their differences in ways that put their friendship to the test.

Hollywood relies on China to stay afloat. What does that mean for movies?

If it doesn't all work, the hit-to-miss ratio is still impressively high. Joy Ride may be reworking a formula, but it does so with disarming energy and verve, plus a level of savvy about Asian culture that we still rarely see in Hollywood movies. Director Lim can stage a gross-out moment or a frisky montage as well as anyone. But she also gives the comedy a subversive edge, whether she's pushing back on lazy assumptions about Asian masculinity or — in one queasily funny scene — making clear just how racist Asians can be toward other Asians.

The actors are terrific. Deadeye is named Deadeye for their seeming lack of expression, but Wu makes this character, in some ways, the emotional glue that holds the group together. You can hear Cola's past stand-up experience in just about every one of Lolo's foul-mouthed zingers. And Park gives the movie's trickiest performance as Audrey, an insecure overachiever who, as the movie progresses, learns a lot about herself. Maybe that's a cliché, too, but Joy Ride gives it just the punch it needs.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Common sense media reviewers.

All-Asian cast is brilliantly funny in raunchy road movie.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Underlying the raunchy humor are positive messages

Each main character is presented as an individual

Almost the entire cast consists of Asian actors; t

Violence is infrequent and comic. A young girl pun

Celebrates sex as something "beautiful" and an imp

Cursing is frequent and usually for comic effect:

Some characters are wealthy and are seen with limo

Characters drink frequently, including downing sho

Parents need to know that Joy Ride is a crude, hilarious road movie with strong language, sexual humor, drinking, and drugs. It follows a group of four friends -- Audrey (Ashley Park), Lolo (Sherry Cola), Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), and Kat (Stephanie Hsu) -- as they travel across Asia in search of one of their…

Positive Messages

Underlying the raunchy humor are positive messages about the importance of friends, the value of emotional support, and the way cultural identity is connected with your inner sense of self. Sincerity, perseverance, kindness, and respect are all important themes.

Positive Role Models

Each main character is presented as an individual with unique hopes and dreams. Each also has enough screen time to make viewers empathize and root for them. Audrey is the film's main character, but Deadeye is the most vulnerable, and the one who's most honest about their emotions. Characters grow, change, and become more fully realized and emotionally mature over the course of the movie.

Diverse Representations

Almost the entire cast consists of Asian actors; the narrative is built around a twenty-something Asian American woman who's far from a stereotype and is presented as a full person with an identity and goals. An adoptee storyline is central to the film, and the cast is diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, gender expression, sexual identity, and body type. Co-star Sabrina Wu is non-binary; Stephanie Hsu and Sherry Cola are also out LGBTQ+ actors. Director Adele Lim is Malaysian American and co-writers include Thai American and Chinese American writers.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Violence is infrequent and comic. A young girl punches a boy on the nose for calling them and their friend a racist name.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Celebrates sex as something "beautiful" and an important part of your identity and happiness. Many scenes feature explicit talk about sex (including descriptions of acts and body parts), as well as sex scenes in which characters are seen moving in rhythm and making suggestive noises. A character has group sex that they refer to afterward in positive terms; another has consequence-free casual sex that they also feel good about. Brief scene of comic nudity in which a character's vagina is seen from the front, covered with a large tattoo. Also a brief glimpse of buttocks.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Cursing is frequent and usually for comic effect: "f--k," "f---ing," "s--t," "ass," and "bitch." Vulgar sexual language ("d--k," "p---y"), and racist language (a boy calls two girls "ching chongs").

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Some characters are wealthy and are seen with limousines, private jets, and other trappings of wealth.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink frequently, including downing shots, which leads to drunkenness, throwing up, and making clumsy mistakes. In an extended scene, characters are trapped on a train with drugs and must hide them; they do this by gulping pills of molly, snorting lines of cocaine, and hiding them in their rectums. One character puts cocaine in their rectum in a baggie that later explodes; they seemingly suffer no consequences beyond experiencing a fantastic high.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Joy Ride is a crude, hilarious road movie with strong language, sexual humor, drinking, and drugs. It follows a group of four friends -- Audrey (Ashley Park), Lolo (Sherry Cola), Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), and Kat ( Stephanie Hsu ) -- as they travel across Asia in search of one of their birth mothers. The movie is raunchy but upbeat, with positive themes of friendship, identity, and the value of connections to others. Sexual content is frequent and mature. It includes group sex between a woman and two men (moaning, rhythmic movements), and there's lots of talk about sex and bodies, especially from one character who's proud of her active, positive sex life. There are also scenes in which characters vomit after drinking and one in which they hide drugs from law enforcement by taking cocaine and molly, as well as hiding it in an orifice. Cursing includes variants of "f--k," as well as sexual language like "p---y" and "d--k." One character punches another in the face for saying something racist. The cast is mainly composed of East Asian actors and has diversity in terms of age, ethnicity, sexual identity, gender expression, and body type. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (2)
• Kids say (3)

Based on 2 parent reviews

Verbal Porn

Sorry i lied, what's the story.

Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola) were the only Chinese kids in their town growing up, and they relied on each other for staunch support. Now adults, they're still best friends, with Lolo even living in Audrey's garage while she tries to jump-start her art career. But their friendship is tested when Audrey must travel to China for business and decides to search for her birth mother, bringing along Lolo, her awkward cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), and college bestie Kat ( Stephanie Hsu ). During their wild JOY RIDE, the four encounter vengeful drug dealers, horny basketball players, and dismissive grandmas.

Is It Any Good?

Unapologetically raunchy, hilarious, and full of sweet moments and unexpected heart, this film's vibe and mission are perhaps made most clear by its original working title: The Joy F--k Club. Like the highly respected film The Joy Luck Club , Joy Ride 's cast consists almost entirely of actors of Asian descent. But unlike the 1993 film, this one features a scene in which a lead character conceals cocaine from law enforcement by jamming it in her rectum. In a movie with less fizzy humor and genuine emotion, such a scene would be unbearably crass. But here, it's all part of the silly, occasionally surreal, and ultimately affecting adventure. It's also just one of many comedic scenes that could have easily gone south in less capable hands. In addition, the serious moments that tackle racism, identity, and the inestimable value of supportive friends bring a gravity that keeps the audience invested.

Wu's Deadeye has some of the most powerful emotional moments, such as a scene in which they cop to being "weird" and "socially awkward," but even so, they're still pained by rejection. "I don't have any friends," Deadeye admits, and Audrey, who had always looked down on Deadeye, is visibly moved by the revelation and their emotional honesty. There are other scenes that will get viewers misty, like when characters admit their fears and limitations and friends dole out hugs and support. There are also knowing cultural gags, such as when a rich businessman promises a party will have "Gift bags, oranges, Teslas, and Bitcoin." It all adds up to a deliriously enjoyable ride that audiences will want to go on again and again.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Joy Ride portrays drinking and drug use . Were there any real-life consequences? Did the movie judge those used substances? How could you tell?

How is sex depicted? Did you think the graphic sex talk was meant to be realistic or shocking? What's the difference? What values were imparted?

Talk about the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

The movie is a Hollywood studio feature built around an almost all-Asian/Asian American cast. Why is that notable? Why does representation matter in media?

How did the characters defy stereotypes, both in terms of ethnicity and gender? What made Audrey a positive female character? Why is it important for kids to see a wide range of behavior from both genders in the media they consume?

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 7, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : September 12, 2023
• Cast : Ashley Park , Stephanie Hsu , Sherry Cola
• Director : Adele Lim
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Asian directors, Female actors, Asian actors, Bisexual actors, Queer actors, Female writers, Asian writers
• Studio : Lionsgate
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : Friendship
• Character Strengths : Integrity , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 95 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : strong and crude sexual content, language throughout, drug content and brief graphic nudity
• Last updated : February 26, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Bridesmaids

Goofy Comedy Movies to Watch with Tweens and Teens

Movies with asian, asian american, native hawaiian, and pacific islander characters, related topics.

• Perseverance

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

'Joy Ride' Review: A Delightful and Irreverent Girls' Trip Full of Laughs and Raunchiness

Adele Lim's directorial debut is reminiscent of comedy titans like 'The Hangover' and 'Bridesmaids.'

Adele Lim 's new girls' trip film, Joy Ride , is destined to join the ranks of iconic comedy movies like The Hangover and Bridesmaids . Complete with crude humor, raunchy sex scenes, and full-frontal, this movie is definitely not for everyone but it dives deeper than movies of its ilk while also not shying away from the kind of laughs that make these movies so good. As her directorial debut, it's clear that Lim put a lot of heart into the film, and alongside writers Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao , the movie is not only a riot but one that fully sinks into the characters who are at the center of this 95-minute film. The story follows Audrey Sullivan ( Ashley Park ), an Asian American woman who was adopted and raised by white parents, as she goes on a business trip to China with her best friend Lolo Chen ( Sherry Cola ). The trip quickly goes off the rails and soon Lolo's cousin Deadeye ( Sabrina Wu ) and Audrey's college roommate Kat ( Stephanie Hsu ) also get dragged into a journey across China in search of Audrey's birth mother.

RELATED: 'Joy Ride' Director Adele Lim Explains Why Water Buffalo Were Cut from the Film

'Joy Ride' Flips Stereotypes on Their Heads

Without a doubt, Joy Ride is hilarious. Chevapravatdumrong and Hsiao both met and worked together as writers for Family Guy and their no-holds-barred humor feels like a perfect fit for the wackiness of the twists and turns in Joy Ride . From threesomes with basketball players in a random hotel in China to a K-pop-inspired performance of "WAP" that ends in a hilarious wardrobe malfunction, the trio of creators Chevapravatdumrong, Hsiao, and Lim have set this movie up with some iconic scenes. What's better is Joy Ride doesn't hesitate in not only smashing but completely obliterating any stereotypes about the timid, shy, soft-spoken Asian woman. A lot differentiates Audrey, Lolo, Deadeye, and Kat from each other, but one thing they all share is that they do not fit comfortably into a stereotypical box.

Audrey is a high-powered lawyer, ambitious and eager to rise up at her firm which is predominantly full of white men. She's got no problem going toe-to-toe with her boss in squash and beating his ass without remorse. Lolo is an artist who unabashedly creates sex-positive art, from a playground made of genitalia to a perverse version of the Lucky Cat statue, she may have been raised by more conservative parents, but she certainly is not afraid to embrace her sexual side. Deadeye is a K-pop-obsessed fan who isn't afraid to speak bluntly with the group, even if they are sometimes merely the person that is tagging along. And Kat, who goes back to China for a career as an actor, might seem to check every dutiful, demure, and sweet box on the surface but has a raunchy, checkered past that makes her more like Lolo than she might like to admit.

Audrey's Story in 'Joy Ride' Goes Deeper Than Just Finding Her Mom

It's precisely this multifaceted approach to character that makes Joy Ride more than just a story about Asian identity. While shows like American Born Chinese and Fresh Off the Boat have given us looks into the immigrant story, the characters of Joy Ride are second generation. Lolo and Audrey have grown up in America, where they've been somewhat assimilated, and it's these varying levels of connection to their Asian heritage that also gives the story roots. While the humor might not hit for everyone in the audience, for those who have grown up in the culture, jokes about having the one friend who doesn't like boba or about century-egg-laced liquor, or Asians' own preconceived stereotypes about themselves hit because they're clearly written from people who know what they're talking about.

The whole reason the movie kicks off is because Audrey has to lock down a deal with a Chinese company and going to China she meets Chao ( Ronny Chieng ) who immediately asks about her family and knowing that he will judge her and shut her out being the adopted daughter of Americans, she deflects with a lie. What might seem like an invasive question to non-Asians is exactly what you might expect if you understand the culture. Conversations about the importance of family and the more traditional values connected to knowing your roots and your family history work because the story understands that Chao values this and Audrey understands that as well.

Sherry Cola and Stephanie Hsu Are the Highlights of 'Joy Ride'

But humor and a good story are only as good as the characters who are there to hold it up. The interpersonal dynamics between the four characters are what lies at the heart of the story. Audrey and Lolo's long-time friendship is tested when they wonder if they simply became friends out of necessity as the only two Asians in their school, while Lolo herself struggles with her journey as an artist and deciding whether to live hand-to-mouth or "sell out" and work for her parents at their restaurant. Meanwhile, Kat must decide what to do in her relationship with her co-star Clarence ( Desmond Chiam ). Clarence is a hot but very Christian and celibate man and Kat has been lying to him about her past, keeping her more promiscuous history concealed for fear that it will break up their relationship. And Deadeye worries that all of the friends that they've made through their K-pop fandom might actually boil down to nothing, despite their dedication and obsession with it.

While everyone in the cast is funny, with some hilarious cameos from Chieng, Chiam, and Chris Pang (and a more poignant one from Daniel Dae Kim ), Sherry Cola and Stephanie Hsu deserve all the praise in this. Lolo and Kat are already very similar, but Cola and Hsu's approach to the crude and silly humor of each scene is refreshing, and it's hard to imagine anyone better fit for their roles. Cola had a more serious role in this year's Shortcomings , but it's clear that her forte is in comedy. While Hsu already stunned in Everything Everywhere All at Once last year, she completely lets loose in Joy Ride and I can't wait to see what project she is in next.

Bursting with laughter and heart, Joy Ride is not only chock-full of ribald comedy, but it's a wholesome story about friendship which is what grounds these types of movies. Without the firm backbone of these four characters, there wouldn't be enough to keep the film afloat. A movie made to be watched in a group, Joy Ride should be the next flick you watch with your friends after which none of you will be able to look at a Theragun the same way again.

Joy Ride is in theaters starting July 7.

• Entertainment

‘Joy Ride’ review: A hilariously raunchy, and genuinely moving, girls trip

Movie review.

The cheerfully raunchy and yet ultimately sweet “Joy Ride,” directed by Adele Lim, follows in some familiar footsteps. Like “The Hangover” and “Girls Trip,” it’s the tale of a group of friends who find themselves out of town on a very R-rated comedic adventure. Drugs and sex ensue, in vast and creative quantities and combinations, and yet with “Joy Ride” something else emerges as well: a surprisingly gentle story of friendship and identity.

Audrey (Ashley Park) is an Asian American adoptee, raised in a white family in a very white suburb (it’s even called “White Hills”); Lolo (Sherry Cola), who grew up in the only Asian family in town, is her best friend. They are, in the manner of all movie best friends, polar opposites: Audrey is a buttoned-up, careful lawyer; Lolo is a freewheeling artist who says exactly what she thinks. Needing a Mandarin translator for her business trip to China, Audrey invites Lolo to come along, impressing upon her that “it’s really important for me to be professional the whole time.” We can see, from the gleam in Lolo’s eye, what’s going to happen, and we’re quite happy to tag along.

Also tagging along is Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (the hilarious Sabrina Wu), whose nickname is an appropriate description of the character’s unnerving gaze, and who spends the entire movie vaguely trying to keep up with the others despite being on an entirely different wavelength. Audrey’s college friend Kat (Stephanie Hsu, of “ Everything Everywhere All At Onc e”), now a Chinese soap opera star who’s conveniently erased her own freewheeling past, completes the quartet — and the action quickly morphs from business trip to wild party to journey into Audrey’s past, as she and her friends sober up and search for her birth mother.

Along the way, we learn that all four actors are not only charmingly believable as friends but also brilliant at physical comedy (just watch Park’s swallowing of a thousand-year-old egg — her face contorting like it’s about to turn inside-out — or Hsu’s character’s desperate attempts to not be distracted by her deeply religious boyfriend’s impressive pecs), and that “Brownie Tuesday” is an excellent name for a K-pop band. Lim and co-screenwriters Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao balance the occasionally rote raunch (are movies like this contractually required to include swearing by very young and very old people?) with a story that’s genuinely moving, as Audrey learns about who she is and where she came from — with a little help from her friends.

With Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu. Directed by Adele Lim, from a screenplay by Lim, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao. 92 minutes. Rated R for strong and crude sexual content, language throughout, drug content and brief graphic nudity. Opens July 6 at multiple theaters.

Most Read Entertainment Stories

• Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction is overturned by New York's top court VIEW
• 'The Bachelorette: Season 21,' featuring Jenn Tran, films in Seattle WATCH
• HGTV's 'Ugliest House in America' has some thoughts on WA homes
• Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
• From Salvador Dalí to local artists, must-see Seattle exhibits in May

The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

True to its title, Emer Reynolds' "Joyride" holds both the thrills of getting away with something and the emotional crash that follows a burst of adrenaline—a mood killjoy, if you will. Fortunately, it's in this sweet-hearted movie's favor that the highs are stronger and more enjoyable than the lows. It may not come together as smoothly as the best feel-good movies of its kind, but there's an unwieldy charm to "Joyride" that makes the trip memorable. 

At a cancer memorial fundraiser for his mom, 13-year-old Mully ( Charlie Reid ) catches his dad James ( Lochlann O'Mearáin ) stealing donations. It's for the family, he insists, but Mully isn't convinced. He snatches the wad of bills and takes off, jumping into a cab and driving away with it. Until that is, there's a snore from the backseat and then a baby's cry. He unintentionally picked up Joy ( Olivia Colman ), an uptight solicitor on her way to give her new baby away to her sister. Both on the run from painful memories, hurtful parental figures, and at some point, local authorities, Mully and Joy make unlikely travel companions as they sort themselves out.  

Reynolds, an experienced editor-turned-director, and writer Ailbhe Keogan thread a thin line between the pair's heartbreaking confessions and the various bumps on the road. Some detours are funny, some are somber, and a few are a bit off-kilter, like a street parade where people in intimidating burlap costumes dance around Mully at a delayed, dreamy speed. He's not dreaming, nor under the influence; it's just a surreal moment, complete with an oversized babydoll head being carried in the street. It's a bit on-the-nose overall, but not as much as a contrived moment on a plane when Joy is trying to leave, and the passengers rally around her like in a classic romantic comedy. Unfortunately, some of these stranger moments between heartfelt scenes throw off the tone and feel like ideas imported from another movie. 

However, other visual qualities of Reynolds' "Joyride" are more holistic. Her collaboration with cinematographer James Mather creates a vivid sense of the Irish countryside and seaside. The film keeps gorgeous details of a foggy day as the characters walk among endless green hills and stalks of barley bouncing in the wind. As they wait to take the ferry, the blueness of the water seems to leap off the screen. The sun enters a window with a lovely glow in a boarding house's kitchen. Even if an emotional scene may be tough to watch, their images are usually eye-catching. 

The heart and soul of "Joyride" are the two mismatched travelers brought to life by Reid and Colman's performances. Although plenty world-weary after landing with his self-absorbed father, Mully still has childlike moments of rebellion and innocence. In one tender moment at a gas station, he plays with a musical, dancing toy, and he mimics its moves. Joy watches from afar while holding her baby and smiles as if both taking in the silly moment and perhaps thinking of her own baby's future playtime. In a sense, she is haunted by her mother's lifelong antipathy and is afraid she will similarly fail this child she doesn't want. Colman's body language here is not too dissimilar to Charlie Chaplin's the Tramp in " The Kid ," acting as if almost physically allergic to holding a baby, let alone keeping it. Absent a maternal figure like Mully's, Joy sometimes relies on Mully for caretaking advice since he has experience watching over younger relatives. They are both grieving their lost mothers and learning to step up for the sake of others. 

The shared bond between Mully and Joy keeps "Joyride" together, with their tug-of-war over the steering wheel building trust between the two. They are both determined to move forward but must deal with their not-too-distant past, and they learn they can rely on each other when other parental figures have failed them. "Joyride" may be tame in some respects, but it's a gentle movie about forgiveness, love, and learning to cope with unplanned disruptions in someone's life.  

Now playing in theaters and available on VOD. 

Monica Castillo

Monica Castillo is a critic, journalist, programmer, and curator based in New York City. She is the Senior Film Programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center and a contributor to  RogerEbert.com .

Now playing

The Old Oak

Matt zoller seitz.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

A Bit of Light

Peyton robinson.

You Can Call Me Bill

Clint worthington.

Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World

Brian tallerico, film credits.

Joyride (2022)

Olivia Colman as Joy

Charlie Reid as Mully

Lochlann O'Mearáin as James

Olwen Fouéré as Sideline Sue

Florence Adebambo as Catherine

Tommy Tiernan as Ferryman

• Emer Reynolds
• Alibhe Keogan

Cinematographer

• James Mather
• Tony Cranstoun

Latest blog posts

The Movies That Underwent Major Changes After Their Festival Premiere

Netflix's Dead Boy Detectives Is A Spinoff Stuck In Limbo

Preview of Tributes at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

Pioneering Actor-Producer Terry Carter Dies

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Movie Reviews

Joy Ride review: Sex, drugs, and a very raunchy road movie

Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu star in this predictable but charming comedy, about a group of friends on a bawdy trip through China.

Devan Coggan (rhymes with seven slogan) is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly. Most of her personality is just John Mulaney quotes and Lord of the Rings references.

Five years ago, Adele Lim co-wrote Crazy Rich Asians , a hit rom-com that raked in more than $238 million and helped shatter misconceptions about Asian-led films in Hollywood. A sequel was quickly greenlit, but Lim later exited the film after she was reportedly offered significantly less money than her white male co-writer. Instead, she turned to a new project: a filthy road comedy about four best friends traveling through China. Now, that film has become a reality, and Lim makes her feature directorial debut with Joy Ride (out this weekend), a riotous raunch-fest that doesn't reinvent the genre but earns every bit of its hard-R rating.

Lim developed Joy Ride with friends Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, and the film itself is a testament to friendship and the many messy forms it can take. Broadway alum Ashley Park stars as Audrey, a buttoned-up overachiever who, as a child, was adopted from China by white American parents. Young Audrey became fast friends with Lolo (Sherry Cola), the only other Asian girl in their blindingly white suburb. (When a kid on the playground hurls a racial slur, the tiny Lolo decks him in the face, a shocking but hilarious moment that sets the tone for the chaos to come.) Decades later, Audrey and Lolo are still inseparable, even as Audrey has grown into a prim lawyer, while Lolo is a lawless, sex-positive artist crafting lewd sculptures in Audrey's backyard.

When Audrey heads to China for an international business trip, Lolo volunteers to tag along as her interpreter, accompanied by her awkward, K-pop-obsessed cousin Deadeye (nonbinary actor Sabrina Wu). Later, they're joined by Audrey's college roommate Kat ( Everything Everywhere All at Once star Stephanie Hsu ), who's found fame as a soapy TV star in China. What starts as a giddy vacation quickly goes off the rails, as Ashley tries to close a deal with an intimidating business contact (Ronny Chieng). To prove that she's a dedicated family woman, she reluctantly decides to track down her birth mother in China, triggering — you guessed it — even more chaos.

Joy Ride isn't the first bawdy, R-rated comedy to hit theaters this summer: No Hard Feelings premiered in June, starring Jennifer Lawrence as a 30something hired to flirt with a recent high school grad. But where No Hard Feelings dipped a toe into raunch, Joy Ride cannonballs straight in. Vomit is spewed, drugs are shoved in bodily orifices, threesomes are had with professional basketball players. (Baron Davis has a role as himself.) At one point, having lost their passports, the four friends pose as a fake K-pop group, complete with a hilariously absurd performance of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's " WAP " (ending with a jaw-droppingly filthy finale).

The four leads have an easy chemistry. Hsu, a recent Oscar nominee for Everything Everywhere, shows off her comic chops as the reluctantly celibate Kat, while Wu's Deadeye lives up to their name, delivering emotionless and deeply hilarious reaction shots. Cola is also a charming hurricane of chaos, a lascivious foil to Park's strait-laced Audrey.

Gross gags and chaotic debauchery aren't exactly new, and Joy Ride shares plenty of DNA with other female-led comedies like 2011's Bridesmaids and 2017's Girls Trip . Joy Ride is a welcome addition to the genre, if not a particularly subversive one: Lim raises some thoughtful questions about Asian-American identity and the struggle to belong, but any deeper ideas are overshadowed by nudity and absurdist jokes. Also, not every gag works. (Please, a moratorium on scenes where someone accidentally does cocaine!)

The emotional third act is particularly predictable, trading slapstick for sentimentality and leaning a little too heavily on "friendship saves the day!" cliches. But even among all the sex jokes and vulgar one-liners, Joy Ride boasts a real beating heart. It's a raunchy (and occasionally familiar) ride, but it's well worth the trip. Grade: B

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly 's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Joy Ride cast on why they 'needed' the movie to happen: 'This is rare'
• Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, and a Cardi B K-Pop remix lead the year's funniest trailer in Joy Ride preview
• Ashley Park goes for a wild Joy Ride in first look at Adele Lim's R-rated comedy

Related Articles

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Movie Review: ‘Joy Ride’ is a cheerfully gross-out comedy that soars, thanks to a terrific cast

This image released by Lionsgate shows Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, from left, Ashley Park as Audrey, Sherry Cola as Lolo, and Stephanie Hsu as Kat, in a scene from “Joy Ride.” (Ed Araquel/Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, from left, Sherry Cola as Lolo, Stephanie Hsu as Kat, and Ashley Park as Audrey in a scene from “Joy Ride.” (Ed Araquel/Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows Stephanie Hsu as Kat, from left, Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Ashley Park as Audrey, and Sherry Cola as Lolo in a scene from “Joy Ride.” (Ed Araquel/Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows Stephanie Hsu as Kat, from left, Sherry Cola as Lolo, Ashley Park as Audrey, and Sabrina Wu as Deadeye in a scene from “Joy Ride.” (Ed Araquel/Lionsgate via AP)

This image released by Lionsgate shows Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, from left, Ashley Park as Audrey, Stephanie Hsu as Kat and Sherry Cola as Lolo in a scene from “Joy Ride.” (Ed Araquel/Lionsgate via AP)

• Copy Link copied

If you’re like me, there comes a moment of truth in raunchy film comedies when you decide whether to fully join in the fun — or ride it out on the fence.

It often comes in a key early comic scene. Can they pull it off? If so you’ll be putty in their hands for two hours, ready to chuckle along no matter how gross it gets (think of that bridal dress fitting in “Bridesmaids.”) If not, you’ll shuffle uncomfortably on the sidelines, feeling rather like a prude.

In first-time director Adele Lim’s ebullient, chaotic, nothing’s-too-gross-if-it’s funny road comedy “Joy Ride,” that moment came for me when watching Ashley Park swallow a disgusting concoction in a drinking contest, pretending all’s fine as her insides erupt. Expert comic chops cannot be faked. Park had me from that guzzle (and cemented it later with her Gollum impression.)

Yet the impressive thing about “Joy Ride,” a comedy that more than earns its R rating — folks, it features a vaginal tattoo in full-frontal glory — is that there are similar moments for each of the superb quartet of actors that make this film buzz along.

Park, playing an ambitious and uptight lawyer, has the trickiest job, being funny while remaining the narrative center, and tasked with making us not only laugh but cry. But each of her co-stars — comic Sherry Cola as a cheerfully profane, struggling artist, Sabrina Wu as her awkward, K-pop obsessed cousin, and a fabulous Stephanie Hsu as a soap opera diva — pulls their weight in comedy gold. A viewer’s gross-out tolerance may vary; what unites is the laughter. Funny how simple it is when that works.

We first meet Audrey as a child in suburban Washington state, the adopted daughter of white parents who delightedly welcome Lolo, from a Chinese family, as a playmate for their daughter. When the bolder Lolo makes mincemeat of a white racist bully in the park, the girls launch a lifelong friendship.

Back to the present. Audrey, a lawyer so competitive she demolishes her boss at squash (he keeps claiming he’s “an ally” while tossing off racially insensitive asides), is living in the same hometown — not for nothing is it called White Hills — and Lolo is nearby. Audrey’s boss promises a big promotion and a move to Los Angeles if she can seal an important deal in Beijing.

Problem is, Audrey doesn’t speak Mandarin, so she enlists Lolo as a translator. As far as Lolo’s concerned, Audrey’s problems run deeper than her lack of language; she lacks any connection to her Asian roots. What a perfect time, Lolo thinks, for Audrey to make inroads. Maybe she can even find her birth mother.

In Beijing, Audrey survives a brutal night of competitive drinking with her potential client, who likes her until he finds out she has little connection to China. Suddenly, in an effort to save the big deal, Audrey and company are off on a road trip to find Audrey’s birth mother. This includes Deadeye, Lolo’s cousin, and Kat, Audrey’s former college roommate, now a very sexually frustrated soap star. Hsu, after her breakout performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” shows huge comic potential here.

The plot — outlandish and sometimes contrived as it is — offers plenty of room for comic possibility. And more. Screenwriters Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao explore themes of identity, assimilation and anti-Asian racism both overt and casual — and within the Asian community itself.

When, for example, the foursome hops on a train, they search for a compartment with people who seem “safe.” Audrey rejects a number of Chinese travelers but settles happily in with a blonde American woman — who turns out to be a drug dealer. The scene involves hiding copious amounts of cocaine in ungodly places, but also reflects on Audrey’s subconscious racism.

Kicked off the train in the middle of the countryside but rescued by a basketball team (yeah, just go with it), the foursome has a ridiculously raunchy night (sorry for overusing the word, but “raunch” says it so well) before getting marooned again. The comic energy reaches its apotheosis in a K-pop number whose lyrics we cannot repeat here. The group has been forced to disguise itself as a band so they can get to Korea without passports. (Why? Too complicated). Their song is so overtly sexual you might find yourself blushing — except, as usual, the laughter is what wins out.

Even when the above-mentioned X-rated tattoo is staring you in the face. Which it is.

And then we pivot, dramatically, when Audrey’s trip to see her birth mom has an unexpected result. And suddenly, the laughter turns to tears. I know those were sniffles I heard at my screening, and not just mine. How did THAT happen, we wonder.

Well, it’s easy: Park earned it. They all did.

“Joy Ride,” a Lionsgate release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America “for strong and crude sexual content, language throughout, drug content and brief graphic nudity.” Running time: 95 minutes. Three stars out of four.

MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘joy ride’ review: ashley park and stephanie hsu in a raunchy, rowdy comedy with genuine heart.

This directorial debut from 'Crazy Rich Asians' screenwriter Adele Lim follows four friends on their wild, international adventure.

By Lovia Gyarkye

Lovia Gyarkye

Arts & Culture Critic

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

Related Stories

How "culkin whisperer" natasha lyonne got all five culkin brothers to appear in 'the second best hospital in the galaxy', aclu socal centennial awards to honor oscar-winning directing team the daniels.

Audrey and Lolo’s friendship is the bedrock of Joy Ride , which presents itself as a caustic, Asian-diaspora-representational romp. The film, which premiered at SXSW and will be released in theaters in July, is laced with the same bawdy brand of humor as classic contemporary American studio comedies, from The Hangover and Pineapple Express to Bridesmaids and Girls Trip . And, like Bottoms , another spicy SXSW entrant, Joy Ride sets out to prove (or re-prove) that populations still marginalized by Hollywood (women, people of color, queer folks) can be just as unapologetically brash, bold and rowdy.

After building its necessary backstory, Joy Ride zips to the present day, where Audrey (Park), a high-powered corporate lawyer, prepares to take a career-changing business trip to China. Closing the Beijing deal would earn Audrey, the only woman and seemingly the only person of color at her firm, an exciting promotion. Her boss doesn’t know that she, an adoptee with white parents, can’t speak Mandarin. To help her with translation, Audrey invites Lolo (Cola), now an artist who constructs whimsical, sex-positive sculptures, to come along. It’s been decades since the two women met on the playground, and although they are still close, the ruthlessness of time and divergent priorities threaten to change their friendship. Audrey itches for life outside of White Falls, while Lolo can’t imagine them living apart.

This trip to China takes on a dual meaning: an opportunity for Audrey to ascend the corporate ladder and a way for Lolo to rekindle the spark in their friendship. Joining the duo on their international adventure is Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Wu) and Audrey’s best friend from college, Kat (Hsu). After graduation, Kat moved to Beijing to become an actress; she’s now nationally beloved and engaged to her TV show costar Clarence (Desmond Chiam). Meanwhile, the introverted and well-meaning Deadeye hopes to connect with other K-pop disciples in Beijing.

Like the best quartets in film and TV, the four friends form an unlikely crew, but it’s their differences that make their relationships with one another oddly comforting. Joy Ride balances its irreverent humor — a mix of sex jokes and insider-y, affectionate jabs at stereotypes within the Asian diaspora — with poignance. Audrey’s client’s intense interest in her family life prompts her to search for her birth mother.

Once you get past the contrived nature of this storyline, Joy Ride takes some surprising and heartwarming turns. The four main characters journey through China — from the city to the suburbs — encountering new friends and old family members. The film’s sense of humor is enhanced by Lim’s energetic direction — she plays with intimate close-ups and trusts her performers to experiment with their roles — and Chevapravatdumrong and Hsiao’s genuine interest in fleshing out the four friends, giving each of them enough screen time for viewers to identify and root for them.  

Full credits

Thr newsletters.

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Nicole kidman: “i’ve definitely had an extreme life”, aaron sorkin writing a potential ‘social network’ sequel: “i blame facebook for jan. 6”, cécile gaget leaves wild bunch, joins omar sy’s carrousel studios as ceo, janet jackson and drew barrymore reveal iconic movie roles they turned down, zendaya on why she has been “nervous” about ‘challengers’, hugh grant made an audition tape for tony the tiger role in ‘unfrosted’ that left jerry seinfeld “stunned”.

Joy Ride Review

It's been a good few years since we’ve had a truly outlandish group-vacation comedy, one that has reached the scatological heights of Bridesmaids — but Joy Ride is a worthy successor. No bodily fluid, orifice or taboo is left untouched in Adele Lim’s audacious directorial debut, and though it may test your limit for gross-out humour, the film engages with more than just comedy. Come for the laughs, stay for the thoughtful deconstruction of Asian identity against a world that wants to categorise people of colour in rudimentary boxes.

As the only two Asian kids in the white suburb of White Hills, Seattle, Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola) become fast friends when the latter punches the local playground racist. That connection based on mutual protection carries into their adult lives: Lolo is a struggling, body-positive artist living out of Audrey’s garage; Audrey has an important work trip to China that promises a cushy promotion at her law firm, and brings Lolo along as her translator and support system. Also joining the ride are Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), an earnest K-pop stan nicknamed for their vacant stare, and Audrey’s college bestie Kat (Stephanie Hsu), a local celebrity in China for her starring role in a costume drama.

Their holiday gets uprooted when Lolo encourages Audrey, who was adopted from China, to find her birth mother. On the surface, Joy Ride is not so distant from this year’s Return To Seoul , the superb drama about an adoptee’s struggle to reconcile her heritage with the person she’s become — except that Lim’s film is bolstered by a heaping sprinkle of threesomes, vomit, and cocaine rammed up arseholes. The Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg-produced film initially coasts along on provocatively uproarious set-pieces — a frantic run-in with a drug dealer, an aggressive sexcapade with a touring basketball team — though not all of it works. An improvised, candy-coloured rendition of ‘WAP’ falls flat before it has even started.

Establishes its own identity by filtering insightful commentary through refreshingly crude humour.

Being an entirely Asian-led comedy, Joy Ride inherently has more baggage than the whiter raunch-fests of past (think The Hangover ). There’s a silent mission statement in Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao’s layered screenplay: to defy the tired tropes surrounding Asian women, who are too often portrayed as docile, innocent submissives. That description, rightly, could never fit Audrey, Lolo, Kat and Deadeye. (The latter, while never outright stated, is suggested to be non-binary.) They have sex, take copious substances, and run rampant across China and beyond. There’s something liberating in just simply watching these people be explicitly themselves.

It helps that the cast is so infectiously charming. Park dutifully plays the straight-woman to her more eclectic troupe of besties. And Hsu is just as much a stand-out here as she was in Everything Everywhere All At Once , this time playing a horndog actor feigning celibacy for her Bible-thumping fiancé. She’s heroically game to wholly embody the ways the film tests her character’s frustrated libido.

As with Crazy Rich Asians , which counts Lim as a co-writer, Joy Ride unfurls and expands the nuances of Asian identity. The jokes strike a fine line between specificity and universality; such is the case when Audrey attempts to impress an important client by chugging down a century egg. She bristles at accusations that she’s assimilated so well that she’s “basically white”, but for all the jabs aimed her way for her love of Mumford & Sons and Succession , Audrey’s “whiteness” speaks to the varying shades of the diasporic experience. There’s an uneasy friction, too: the isolation Audrey feels for not speaking the language or appreciating the food — like misunderstanding the inside joke everyone but you laughs at.

That, in turn, introduces an inverted dynamic into the group. Audrey, a perennial over-achiever who can easily code-switch at an office squash match with her all-white colleagues, straggles behind her Chinese-speaking friends in her own motherland.

For all of Joy Ride ’s coked-up debauchery, that all fades away in a sentimental third act that’s earned, if conventional. Lim’s film faithfully fits the template of Bridesmaids and the like, but it establishes its own identity by filtering insightful commentary through refreshingly crude humour. Clichés be damned: it’s a joy.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Follows four Asian American friends as they bond and discover the truth of what it means to know and love who you are, while they travel through China in search of one of their birth mothers... Read all Follows four Asian American friends as they bond and discover the truth of what it means to know and love who you are, while they travel through China in search of one of their birth mothers. Follows four Asian American friends as they bond and discover the truth of what it means to know and love who you are, while they travel through China in search of one of their birth mothers.

• Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
• Teresa Hsiao
• Ashley Park
• Sherry Cola
• Stephanie Hsu
• 143 User reviews
• 130 Critic reviews
• 74 Metascore
• 2 wins & 16 nominations

• Mary Sullivan

• Joe Sullivan
• Young Lolo (age 5)
• Young Audrey (age 5)

• Swinging Kid

• Audrey (age 12)

• Lolo (age 12)

• White Boy #1

• White Boy #2

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

The 'Joy Ride' Cast Crack One Another Up

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Stephanie Hsu said she could not contain her laughter for several takes when Sabrina Wu 's Deadeye was explaining their nickname to Kat by putting on a blank expression.
• Goofs In the slapping game, Chao gets slapped hard by Audrey across the upper face but has a small wound on the side of his lip.

Kat : My vagina is the devil and she's here to stay!

• Connections Featured in Amanda the Jedi Show: 'BOTTOMS' is WILD | Kicked out of The Evil Dead Rise Premiere SXSW (2023)
• Soundtracks Ants Marching Written by Dave Matthews (as David J. Matthews) Performed by Dave Matthews Band Courtesy of RCA Records By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment

User reviews 143

• ethanbresnett
• Jul 8, 2023
• How long is Joy Ride? Powered by Alexa
• How does a scene with someone slitting their own throat belong in this movie?
• July 7, 2023 (United States)
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Official site
• Locas en apuros
• Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall St, Vancouver, Canada (the location where leading character first met her friend in China)
• Lionsgate Films
• Point Grey Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $12,897,789
• Jul 9, 2023
• $15,787,674

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 35 minutes
• Dolby Digital

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Joy Ride review – slickly likable Asian-American comedy dwells on family and identity

Laughs, high energy levels and some outrageous set pieces make this examination of the complex relationship with distant family a fun journey of self-discovery

W riter-producer Adele Lim, who worked on the script for Crazy Rich Asians, now makes her feature directing debut with this likable and brash Asian-American comedy about four women leaving the US for a trip to the Chinese homeland; they come to terms with their roots in various ways, expressing sexualities queer and straight and of course celebrating friendship.

It all barrels along, with a journey-of-discovery narrative template not entirely dissimilar to the recent Book Club sequel ; the energy levels are high and there are some outrageous gags, between which the mandatory sentimentality is reasonably managed although occasionally the sex-positivity theme is rather earnestly signalled. And given how contemporary and hip the script is striving to be, and the fact that it’s specifically about four American nationals flying to China, the lack of any mention of the recent Covid lockdown and diplomatic froideur between China and the US is a bit weird. This project could, of course, have originated before the pandemic.

Ashley Park plays Audrey, adopted as a child by a white American couple and now a super-smart overachiever, about to make partner in a very Wasp-y Seattle law firm; the casually racist boss (played by Veep’s Timothy Simons) needs her to negotiate for lucrative work with a Chinese company. Her best friend from girlhood is Lolo (played by comic Sherry Cola), who back in the day beat up racist kids in the playground on Audrey’s behalf and is now a penniless aspiring artist, still fearlessly cracking wise. Audrey takes Lolo on this business trip to Beijing, and they find themselves being accompanied by non-binary mutual acquaintance Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), whose life so far has been lived pretty much online.

Once in the Chinese capital, they look up a friend: Kat (Stephanie Hsu, from Everything Everywhere All at Once ) who is now a famous screen actor and engaged to a Christian hunk who doesn’t know about the colourful love life she has enjoyed up until now – believing her to be, like him, a virgin. But Audrey faces a challenge: the Chinese businessman (Ronnie Chieng) she is dealing with is not impressed with her lack of interest in her background, and so Audrey realises that to land the contract she must track down her birth mother.

Like The Farewell and Everything Everywhere All at Once, Joy Ride is very much about family, and about the complicated Asian-American experience of connecting with faraway relatives of whose existence you have been so far hardly aware. Joy Ride delivers mostly through setpieces, and the best is the one in which the four heroines are aboard a Chinese train looking for an empty compartment, or at least one in which the existing occupants look reassuringly respectable. They eagerly settle for one containing a blond white American – only later wondering if there is some internalised bigotry going on – but this woman is not what they think, and triggers a catastrophe which launches the action. A fun ride.

• Comedy films
• Drama films
• Asia Pacific
• Everything Everywhere All At Once

Most viewed

Joy Ride and the Noir Thriller That Dared Not to Reveal Its Killer's Face

In 2001, a riveting thriller called Joy Ride changed the rules, and didn't reveal its killer face. How did they pull it off?

• Joy Ride cleverly taps into post-9/11 fear with a faceless killer, offering a unique twist on the classic thriller genre.
• The film's originality and suspense make it a fantastic noir thriller that still holds up over 20 years later.
• Steve Zahn and Paul Walker deliver great performances in a film that explores the horrors of domestic, American, and faceless threats.

Just as the summer of 2001 ended, an event occurred in the United States that would change the country, the entire world, and all the generations that lived through it. The dynamics underwent a radical shift, bringing songs, movies, and TV shows under scrutiny. If they dared show terrorism, anger, and what existed before Ground Zero, then they’d have to be changed in favor of the sensibility of an entire nation that would grieve for many years.

The fear was felt everywhere. Osama bin Laden’s face was in every corner of the media. An entire religion suffered the prejudice brought upon by those who attacked the nation as they screamed the name of God in a foreign language that was now blasphemous. In terms of movies, schedules were pulled, trailers were changed , and some scripts suffered major rewrites. But what about those that had already gone through a release? John Dahl’s thriller Joy Ride was on schedule, and after a solid response at TIFF, it was time for a major release. The poster was everywhere, showing three gorgeous faces, a car, and a truck. Nothing more. It stayed away from being ominous.

After a terrorist attack changed the American psyche, audiences attended theaters for escapism. Not only did we see movies differently. They affected us in ways we had never recognized as possible. In the case of Joy Ride , what seemed like a perfect road trip for sibling rivalry to become a reunion turned into a horrific ordeal. Perhaps we weren’t ready for such a blow, but then again, who is? What were we supposed to expect from a premise that was entirely possible and was only fueled by an immature act?

Dahl’s design of the film was based on one thing: What if, during a year when the enemy had a face and was more famous than rock stars, the film's antagonist was faceless? What if this could happen in real life, and a maniacal madman could get away with a deadly rampage and ramble free because we couldn’t recognize him? In one of the most crucial periods at the turn of the century, Joy Ride represented the greatest threat : domestic, American, and faceless. This is how Joy Ride got away with never showing its villain’s face.

Who Is the Killer in Joy Ride?

In Joy Ride , Lewis Thomas takes a leap of faith and plans a last-minute trip across the country to pick up his childhood crush , Venna, in Colorado. However, during the journey, he discovers Fuller, his big brother, is in prison and must be bailed out. Lewis decides to help him, and they begin the road trip together.

Fuller gets an idea. At a service station, he buys and installs a CB radio to help them communicate with fellow drivers and avoid speed control by law enforcement. Using the radio, they decide to play a prank on Rusty Nail, a truck driver who buys into the story that Lewis is Candy Cane, a horny woman on the road. When it’s time to make a stop at a motel to spend the night, they meet a violent man who verbally attacks Fuller. That is how the prank grows in scope: they tell Rusty to meet Candy Cane at the motel, where the furious man will wait. Lewis and Fuller listen as Rusty arrives and shockingly sees who’s waiting isn’t exactly Candy Cane. The brothers hear a commotion in the other room and call the motel manager, who tells them everything is fine. However, they clearly feel something is wrong.

10 Best Gritty American Crime Thrillers from the 1980s

When they wake up, they realize the police are treating the motel like a crime scene, and they suspect Rusty Nail may have been the victim of an attack by the disgruntled man. However, the police reveal that, due to their prank, Rusty Nail has viciously attacked the man whose life is hanging by a thread. When the agents let Lewis and Fuller go, Rusty Nail calls for Candy Cane on the radio. He’s out for blood, and he won’t stop until the brothers suffer the wrath of the sociopath, who doesn’t care for pranks.

Steve Zahn and Paul Walker Are Great Leads in Joy Ride

The movie works primarily because of Paul Walker's and Steve Zahn’s performances as Lewis and Fuller, respectively. They’re great demonstrations of what it meant to be young, reckless, and cool in the early 2000s. At least, that’s in the first half of the film when they believe they’re immune to punishment for any misbehavior, even if related to a prank that felt harmless.

Their progression to victims is fast, but Clay Tarver and J.J. Abrams’ script is finely tuned for this to be as natural as possible. The addition of Leelee Sobieski to the roster is inevitable, but it doesn’t feel inconsistent with the tone of the film. Their figures are strong but never as strong as those of their antagonist, Rusty Nail, who has managed to wreak havoc without showing his face .

In addition, the film features a fine acting moment from the early 2000s , which has gone unappreciated for decades, with Steve Zahn’s characters' facial expressions when they find out who the victim in the motel was. In that face, you’ll find remorse, regret, and absolute fear. This is how Fuller realizes he will pay at some point.

Joy Ride Nearly Shows Rusty Nail's Face

Nevertheless, Joy Ride is one of those films that went through the DVD craze of the 2000s. Every release was worth having because every DVD had extras. Those were the days of physical media , and if you got your hands on a copy of Joy Ride , you would find a great extra in the form of alternate endings.

It remains a mystery who decided on the theatrical cut, but the mere existence of this footage may be revealing. Not many films had alternate endings , especially those that lasted more than a few minutes. On the DVD, you can find a 29-minute alternate conclusion where Rusty dies by suicide, and you can get some glimpses of his body . In others, you could also see his face and more of his acts.

Producers usually demand these changes after test screenings, and in the case of Joy Ride , it feels like too much of a coincidence that Rusty Nail's face is visible in the footage that was left out. Of course, this isn't the first film to hide its killer's face. However, released just one month after 9/11, the idea of a faceless killer certainly terrified audiences, and the film wouldn't have been the same if Rusty Nail had a face .

Joy Ride Is a Fantastic Noir Thriller That Still Holds Up

More than 20 years after its release, Joy Ride remains as effective a thriller as it was in 2001. The performances are great, the script is well-written, and the third act keeps you on the edge of your seat. We could argue and speculate about what makes it such a good thriller , but the killer being someone we can't see certainly led to the film's originality .

The Most Anxiety-Inducing Movies of All Time

Yes, it was heavily influenced by Steven Spielberg's Duel , another film in which the director didn't share the driver's face with the audience. Terror came in the form of experimental camera work and a great use of sound. Also, the lack of reason seemed to make the whole situation otherwordly. But in Joy Ride , there is a reason. It's just uncanny, but Rusty Nail did what he did because "the boys were boys."

In 2001, when fear was at an all-time high and when terrorism had a face, a small film by a noir master arrived in theaters and accomplished the impossible. It terrified everybody beyond their wits but didn't humanize evil. It just gave it a voice, and by the power of the sound, Joy Ride became the masterful exercise in the genre that fought against standards and succeeded in causing havoc without showing its killer's face. Joy Ride is available to stream on Tubi .

‘Joy Ride’ Review: Outrageous Asian American Comedy Gives Fresh Foursome a Chance to Cut Loose

Co-stars Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu and Stephanie Hsu prove that this raunchy R-rated buddy movie could tell 'The Hangover' to hold their beer.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

• ‘The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady’ Review: Eva Green Surprises in French Blockbuster’s Less-Than-Faithful Finale 1 week ago
• ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ Review: Henry Cavill Leads a Pack of Inglorious Rogues in Guy Ritchie’s Spirited WWII Coup 1 week ago
• ‘Challengers’ Review: Zendaya and Company Smash the Sports-Movie Mold in Luca Guadagnino’s Tennis Scorcher 2 weeks ago

Watch Latin American Music Awards

Lim’s filthy breakthrough builds on a long tradition of envelope-pushing Asian American comics. From Margaret Cho to Ali Wong to Awkwafina, there’s no shortage of raunchy, etiquette-shattering examples — and let’s not forget that of all the wild gags the “Hangover” movies had to offer, the series’ MVP was none other than Ken Jeong. All of which is to say, this moment is so far overdue, we can’t help but marvel that it took Hollywood this long to see what kind of mischief an all-Asian American crew might come up with.

“Joy Ride” wastes no time in setting the tone, opening with a flashback to that special moment 25 years earlier when adopted Audrey and new-to-town Lolo cemented their friendship: The two girls have just met at the aptly named White Hills Park when a bully hurls a racist insult across the playground. “Fuck you!” Lolo screams back, punching the kid so hard he’ll probably need stitches. At the movie’s SXSW premiere (where Lionsgate treated the already-rowdy crowd to free alcohol), the auditorium erupted into applause at that moment, which is undeniably empowering — and arguably even necessary, considering the recent spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

The movie may not be “Bridesmaids”-level brilliant, but it’s got more than a couple hall-of-fame-worthy comedy set-pieces, like the memorable-enough K-pop cover of Cardi B’s “WAP,” which one-ups itself with an unforgettable reveal. What “Joy Ride” doesn’t have is a particularly strong storyline on which to hang all its how-low-can-you-go shenanigans.

An overachieving associate in an otherwise all-white law firm, Audrey — who was raised by white parents, played by David Denman and Annie Mumolo, and knows hardly anything of her Asian heritage — accepts an assignment to fly to Beijing and seal the deal with an important Chinese client. She invites Lolo along to serve as translator, disregarding the fact that her friend (a “body positive artist” who finds a way to bring most conversations around to sex) has a tendency to say and do outrageously inappropriate things in public.

“Joy Ride” recognizes that women — and especially women of color — have it tough in the workplace, where they aren’t treated as equals and are frequently objectified by their peers. But if the movie’s being political about anything, it’s showing that another underrepresented demographic can be just as extreme as your average Seth Rogen movie. With that goal in mind, “Joy Ride” features more irreverent vagina monologues than “Sausage Party” did dick jokes, which is a surely an accomplishment of some kind.

At the end of the day, what matters is how funny it is, and if you strip away the alcohol-primed SXSW audience’s laugh-at-everything response, a lot of “Joy Ride’s” humor hinges on characters shouting insults (“You look like Hello Kitty just got skull-fucked by Keropi!”) or unapologetic ethnic stereotypes (presumably excused by the source). Wu adds an element of physical comedy to the mix, functioning as the movie’s go-to scene-stealer, the way Melissa McCarthy did in “Bridesmaids,” or Awkwafina in “Crazy Rich Asians.”

The script does a decent job of spreading the laughs between the four core characters, while giving them all something to do in key scenes — whether it’s the cross-country train ride which turns into a desperate scramble to ingest or otherwise conceal a ton of drugs before the Chinese police find them, or an ambitious montage in which each of the women gets lucky with one or more members of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Reviewed at SXSW (Headliners), March 17, 2023. Running time: 95 MIN.

• Production: A Lionsgate release and presentation of a Point Grey, Red Mysterious Hippo production. Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Josh Fagen, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Teresa Hsiao, Adele Lim. Executive producers: Daniel Clarke.
• Crew: Director: Adele Lim. Screenplay: Cherry Chevapravatdumrong & Teresa Hsiao; story: Cherry Chevapravatdumrong & Teresa Hsiao & Adele Lim. Camera: Paul Yee. Editor: Nena Hsu Erb. Music: Nathan Matthew David.
• With: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu, Ronny Chieng, Meredith Hagner, David Denman, Annie Mumolo, Timothy Simons.

More From Our Brands

Kristi noem describes executing puppy she ‘hated’ in new book, charlie puth relists his rex lotery-designed home for $14 million, nfl rookie signing bonuses up 4% for biggest gain since 2020, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, are ghosts promos too spoilery did gene simmons rock idol did conners tease lottery redo can outlander heat be repeated and more qs, verify it's you, please log in.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Joy Ride’ Review: Still Standing

Bobcat Goldthwait and Dana Gould share the stand-up stage in “Joy Ride,” trading war stories, family nightmares and twisted anecdotes.

By Nicolas Rapold

You can think of “Joy Ride” as similar to “ The Trip ” but with stand-up comedy where the food would be. The recipe is part meat-and-potatoes joke-telling — the comics Bobcat Goldthwait and Dana Gould doing joint sets at clubs — and part driving around trading war stories and family nightmares.

The jumping-off point for the documentary is a car crash that landed this pair of friends in the hospital but didn’t halt their touring. The accident and their dazed persistence lead well into their routines, which are a mix of gallows humor and twisted, twisty anecdotes. Some of the material feels fairly standard, as they share misfit upbringings and showbiz gossip, but each veteran comedian lends an unpredictable element through self-deprecating candor.

Gould recalls the longtime trauma of growing up with a father he describes as terrifying, in between hit-or-miss political satire. Goldthwait dwells on the slings and arrows of fame for his yowling stage persona in the 1980s and ’90s, when he could resemble the Tasmanian devil at a dinner party. Both comics display the deliciously mischievous timing of old-school club veterans, reeling out outlandish yarns before yanking you back for the kicker.

Goldthwait adds this modest documentary to his overlooked career as a director of comedy specials and wickedly taboo-tweaking films like “ World’s Greatest Dad ,” starring Robin Williams (remembered here as a misunderstood pal with a penchant for video games). But he and Gould feel more invested in life’s macabre absurdity than shock value, essentially delivering one from the heart.

Joy Ride Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes. In theaters and available to rent or buy on Apple TV , Google Play and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.

'Joy Ride' review: Raunchy friend comedy has instant classic potential

"Get in, loser, we're going to the movies," is what I recommend telling your best friend this weekend. 

"Joy Ride" will take you on its own hilarious spin of the raunchy buddy comedy sub-genre like "Superbad," "Bridesmaids," "Girls Trip" and "The Hangover." I mention these other movies not to suggest "Joy Ride" will remind you of something else it's drawing from, but to say I'm confident it will carve out its own place among fondly remembered 21st-century comedies.

Directed by Adele Lim, from a top-notch screenplay by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao (all with stellar comedic backgrounds in Hollywood), "Joy Ride" begins with a playground flashback of young Audrey and Lolo meeting each other for the first time. A mean little boy bullies them for being Asian American, so Lolo punches him square in the face. And so begins a beautiful, unconditional lifelong friendship between Audrey and Lolo.

In the present, adult Audrey (Ashley Park) is a straight-laced lawyer and Lolo (Sherry Cola) is a quirky artist who lives in Audrey's detached garage. They're still inseparable. 

So that means when Audrey goes to China for an important work trip — her first time there since she was adopted as a baby by American parents — Lolo is of course coming along for support. Joining them is Lolo's cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) and Aubrey's former college roommate Kat (Stephanie Hsu), who now lives in China as a successful actress.

What follows is highly comical R-rated debauchery: sex, drugs and K-pop in place of rock and roll. This is the kind of hysterical moviegoing experience that literalizes "LOL" and "ROFL"; "knee-slapper" would also work.

To put it another way, "Joy Ride" is the level of raunchy, broad comedy the recent "No Hard Feelings" was going for, executed to perfection.

'No Hard Feelings' review: No strong opinions

Jennifer Lawrence's first foray into outright comedy is perfectly fine — no better or worse — and that's OK.

The comedic timing here is some of the best I've seen in recent memory; Lim never lets a scene linger too long, or a gag overstay its welcome, like an "SNL" sketch that's funny until it's not anymore. The editing is so snappy and refreshingly fast-paced that it's easy to miss a line of dialogue in the following scene because you're still laughing from what you just saw. For that alone I feel like it's worth a second watch.

Among the four main stars, everyone has an opportunity to shine — and makes the absolute most of it. Park, as Audrey, is on paper playing the straight man but in practice has just as much fun as everyone else. 

Cola is the strong comedic core of the movie, while Wu and Hsu do some incredible scene-stealing. Hsu was nominated for an Oscar just this year for another memorable, attention-commanding performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," but I think her stock will only continue to skyrocket.

'Everything Everywhere' Oscars win opens new doors for Asian actors

After a history of being shunned, Asian actors are now being welcomed as leads.

"Joy Ride" has all the familiar trappings of a buddy comedy. It's never in doubt that these four very different personalities will eventually butt heads, say some mean things they'll later regret, sit with their feelings, grow from the experience, then ultimately make up. 

Nothing about that is a spoiler, it's just true to life. And formulaic can be good — or in the case of "Joy Ride," exceptional. Sometimes it's truly not about the destination, but the crude fun we have along the way.

Most Recent

A beginner's guide to edible landscaping

Texas mayor receives package with a noose and threatening letter

Chipotle nixes new concepts for now after closing health food spinoff

Entertainment.

Paris Hilton tells Scripps News how she's turning her trauma into action

Reggie Bush is reinstated as 2005 Heisman Trophy winner

Crew members injured in crash on set of Eddie Murphy movie 'The Pickup'

Watch Scripps News

Joy Ride (2001)

1 HOUR 36 MINS

Two brothers on a road trip for summer break become the targets of a relentless trucker after a prank goes awry, leading to a deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

Movie Trailer

Cast & Crew

Steve Zahn Fuller

Paul Walker Lewis

Leelee Sobieski Venna

Basil Wallace Officer Keeney

Jim Beaver Sheriff Ritter

Where to Stream

Upcoming TV Airings

The airings below are based on a generic national schedule. Times and dates can vary by TV provider.

Saturday, May 4

A mysterious trucker terrorizes three young people (Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski).

Sunday, May 5

Thursday, may 9.

SHORT FILMS

Watch: tech makes people dance in 'synthetic pleasures' short film.

by Alex Billington April 25, 2024 Source: Vimeo

"Imagine, we are all living inside of a cave. Unable to life our heads. To see. To feel, anything. Now watch, as we are set free." Is it technology setting us free, or are we freeing ourselves from technology? Nowadays the latter seems more important. This experimental short film titled Synthetic Pleasures is the creation of filmmaker Stuart Langfield . It was originally made as the main title film for OFFF Barcelona 2024 held earlier in April - OFFF is "global platform for the creative industry that sets the trends in design, art & post-digital culture." The short offers a different take on "the robot uprising, imagining a world in which our digital assistants like Siri and Alexa leave the confines of their devices and take some human bodies for a joyride , just to feel something, to be human for a minute." The result of this joyride is a selection of people dancing & moving in weird ways, which is fun for a minute until the little colorful bubbles head off to watch the sunset. This is a bit too abstract to really land, but I do like the visuals and locations. Check it out below.

Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for the tip on this one. Brief intro to this short from Vimeo : "Hey Siri, wanna take my body for a joyride? Created as the main title film for OFFF Barcelona 2024 , 'Synthetic Pleasures' is a unique take on the robot uprising, imagining a world in which our digital assistants like Siri and Alexa leave the confines of their devices and take some human bodies for a joyride, just to feel something, to be human for a minute." Synthetic Pleasures is written and directed by filmmaker Stuart Langfield based in Canada & UK - you can see more of his work on his Vimeo page or visit his official website or follow him on IG @stuartlangfield . Produced by Kieran Smyth and Stuart Langfield. Featuring cinematography by Leon Brehony, VFX by Revenant, and both sound and score by AEPH. With dance choreography by Konstantin Koval. Created as a narrative film for the OFFF Festival in Barcelona held in April 2024 ( view more here ). For more info on the short, visit Vimeo or stop by Stuart's site . To watch more shorts, click here . Thoughts?

Find more posts: Short Film , To Watch

FEATURED POSTS

FOLLOW FS HERE

Follow Alex's new account on Bluesky :

Add our posts to your Feedly : click here

Your Privacy Manager

LATEST TO WATCH

  ▶   Lucien Laviscount & Sophie Cookson in 'This Time Next Year' Trailer ( Apr 26 )   ▶   Funny Trailer for Hulu Comedy Movie 'Prom Dates' from Kim Nguyen ( Apr 26 )   ▶   Scary Trailer for Found Footage Yoga Horror Movie 'Mind Body Spirit' ( Apr 25 )   ▶   'Summer Camp' Comedy Official Trailer with Keaton, Bates, Woodard ( Apr 25 )   ▶   Another Look at Neil Gaiman's Sandman Series 'Dead Boy Detectives' ( Apr 25 )

Want emails instead? Subscribe to our daily newsletter updates:

© 2006-2024 First Showing® LLC. All rights reserved.     Privacy Policy     |     Letterboxd ➚     |     Bookshop ➚     |     Support Us ➚    

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Challengers Link to Challengers
• I Saw the TV Glow Link to I Saw the TV Glow
• Música Link to Música

New TV Tonight

• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• The Jinx: Season 2
• The Big Door Prize: Season 2
• Knuckles: Season 1
• Them: Season 2
• Velma: Season 2
• Secrets of the Octopus: Season 1
• Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story: Season 1
• We're Here: Season 4

Most Popular TV on RT

• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• Under the Bridge: Season 1
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Ripley: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1 Link to Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

DC Animated Movies In Order: How to Watch 54 Original and Universe Films

The Best TV Seasons Certified Fresh at 100%

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Poll: Most Anticipated Movies of May 2024

Poll: Most Anticipated TV and Streaming Shows of May 2024

• Trending on RT
• Challengers
• Boy Kills World
• Marvel Movies In Order
• Play Movie Trivia

Where to Watch

Watch Joy Ride with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Bobcat Goldthwait

Charlie Fonville

Ken Druckerman

Executive Producer

More Like This

Critics reviews.