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.

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‘Joy Ride’ Flips Stereotypes on Their Heads
Image via Lionsgate

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
Image via Lionsgate Movies

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’
Image via Lionsgate

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.

Rating: B+

Joy Ride is in theaters starting July 7.