Variety Pans 'Spa Weekend' as Tired High-Concept Comedy
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- "Spa Weekend" is written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the duo who scripted "The Hangover" and directed "Bad Moms," and follows four old friends on a deluxe spa getaway
- The cast includes Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Anna Faris, and Michelle Buteau as cardboard-cutout archetypes — a control-freak attorney, a foul-mouthed Brit, a mousy assistant, and a divorced mom with anger issues
- Isla Fisher plays Mel, a disheveled British trainwreck cast against type; the reviewer says Fisher gives "too grounded a performance" without the spark of insanity the role demands
- Black Bear Pictures is distributing the film, which the reviewer frames as evidence that processed bad-behavior comedies are being "relegated to the indie and streaming market" rather than handled by major studios
- The review finds the film's jokes — a raucous golf-cart ride, a mud-bath fight, "goat yoga" devolving into chaos — tired and predictable, invoking "Barb and Star" as the anarchic spa comedy the film aspires to be
- The satirical premise targeting New Age wellness culture at the Solaris Eden Beach spa, with a guru general manager and a hot Aussie yoga instructor, feels "seen through" rather than genuinely sharp
Why it matters: The review treats 'Spa Weekend' as a bellwether, arguing that the crass, high-concept R-rated comedy — once a major-studio staple from 'The Hangover' onward — is now being offloaded to indie distributors like Black Bear Pictures, suggesting the form is losing cultural purchase and studio confidence.
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