The directorial debut of Crazy Rich Asians co-writer Adele Lim – Joy Ride – evokes all the raunchy hilarity of nostalgic road trip-sex comedies like Road Trip and Euro Trip while adding its own cultural lens and modern flavors. Yet, still struggles to fully capitalize on its comedic strengths, talent, and story potential to be a meaningful spiritual successor to the classic comedy sub-genre.

What’s apparent with Joy Ride from the very beginning is how it wears its sexually charged and raunchy attitude proudly on its sleeve. Just as viewers are being introduced to best friends Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola), there’s a clear feel the film is trying to establish – especially with Lolo. From the sexual innuendos seen in Lolo’s art to the apparent sexual mindset that she has when talking to Audrey about their upcoming trip to China, the adult-centric aspects of the film definitely make their mark in the early moments. Now, this does make Joy Ride suffer the same issues as its sub-genre companions as its overly vulgar and sexual execution with its comedy can be a little off-putting at first. At times, the film can be very “in your face” with its adult humor and it makes for a rough first impression while coming off like it’s trying too hard to earn shock value.

However, with time the film starts to find ways to balance out its raunchiness with hilarious character interactions and fun gags that come as Audrey and Lolo head on their international trip. The additions of Audrey’s former roommate Kat (Stephanie Hsu) – who is just as obsessed with sex as Lolo – and Lolo’s socially awkward cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) are fantastic, and everyone adds their own distinct elements to the humor. Audrey’s American mindset that stems from her being adopted by white parents is hilarious to see in action and her remarks act as funny reminder of how Americans – specifically white Americans – have an unrealistic view of the world. Lolo and Kat’s rivalry is fun to watch and these two act as a funny dual threat with the film’s raunchy side. However, Wu is a total scene-stealer as Deadeye as she perfectly finds hilarious ways to undercut dialogue with her social awkwardness.

Truth be told, the entire lead foursome is pretty flawless, and they deliver the perfect kind of chemistry needed for this film to be a consistently hilarious ride. They all lean into the film’s comedic feel really well and bring a vulnerability that makes the film’s wildest moments even more engaging to watch. Aside from Wu, Park is definitely one of the biggest standouts of the film for both the hilarious moments she brings and the great emotion she brings to Audrey’s arc. These four really show why they are rising talents to watch out for, and Lim also proves herself as a talented director.

Joy Ride always feels like it’s an experience that’s constantly raising the stakes and laughs – which is exactly what audiences want. Every time you think that things can’t get funnier or wilder for this group, it does and the chaos this group finds themselves in will leave viewers in stitches. It’s great how their own sexual behavior can get them into unexpected trouble and the routes they must take just to get through China are incredibly funny at times. Their sexual buzz only becomes more heightened by unexpected drug use – which is a staple to this sub-genre – and there’s a K-Pop sequence that audiences will never forget. Plus, the slices of cultural perspective and ideology that are embedded into these characters and this story make it have a modern lens that lets this sub-genre grow up at bit.

Lim showcases a real vision and personal touch to this story, and her and fellow co-writers Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao have crafted this hilarious story about four friends just trying to get through a chaotic situation while also including unique cultural elements to make it a deeper and more robust comedic experience.

Unfortunately, the film just can’t maintain the strong momentum it’s building throughout in its final act and the film nearly falls apart at times. Despite the storyline surrounding Audrey looking for her adoptive mother having great emotion and leaving a big impact thanks to strong writing and Park’s performance, the rest of the finale is too rushed. The conflicts between everyone just boil over in no time and get wrapped up in quick “heartfelt” apologies and reminders of what they mean to each other.

This sub-genre always seems to have this issue in providing weak finales that feel like the film just runs out of time and tries to end things far too quickly. Joy Ride equally has this issue and it’s a big reason why it struggles to feel like a true successor of other films just like it. Also, the comedic parts of the finale just don’t hit as strong and it’s where the film clearly reaches its comedic peak and falls down a hill. Now, the final act isn’t so terrible that it tarnishes everything that came before – it’s not even remotely like that – but it’s just noticeably underwhelming and feels like a far too quick finale that doesn’t tie together its character arcs and story in a totally fulfilling way.

Even with its finale being a little undercooked and falling into the same traps as similar films, Joy Ride is a total blast. It delivers an excellent modern spin on the road trip sex-comedy formula and showcases some strong talent that provides unforgettably hilarious and sometimes heartfelt moments that make the film an absolute crowd-pleaser.

Watch the Trailer Here: