This film has several laugh-out-loud moments, many meant-to-shock sequences, and even some tender scenes of friendship between its two male leads. But like the Borat and Jackass films before it, Bad Trip will turn many audiences off with its over-the-top vulgarity, violence, and gross-out scenes, mostly involving bodily fluids (go ahead and imagine the worst because it's all here).
The actors are all convincing in their roles: Howery as the sweet underdog Bud, Andre as the misguided but well-intentioned Chris, Conlin as love interest Maria, and especially Haddish as the hilariously unhinged bully Trina.
A perennial comic tool, the male characters seem stuck in a prolonged adolescence. You can tell the cast and crew had a blast making this movie, but even if it's sometimes a fun ride, it definitely won't be for everyone.
The hidden-camera genre always offers some insights into human behavior. It's eye-opening to see how regular people react in completely abnormal circumstances, like a man getting raped by a gorilla, a woman escaping prison or threatening to throw a man off a building, and two men emerging from a spectacular car crash. Some speak out, others ignore what's going on, and some offer advice or assistance -- even in committing a crime. Most pull out their phones and begin filming.
This movie is set primarily in Black neighborhoods and businesses up the Southeast corridor between Florida and New York, except for some notable exceptions, like an all-White cowboy bar. A final, racially-tinged sequence is reminiscent of Borat at the Conservative Political Action Conference and pays homage to the Wayans brothers' 2004 movie White Chicks.
Stick around for the end credits to see how some of the unsuspecting bystanders react when they're told they've been pranked.
Read the full review at Common Sense Media.
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