Gail Daughtry proves to be absurdly foolish enjoyable

Gail Daughtry proves to be absurdly foolish enjoyable

Published 1:53 pm Friday, July 10, 2026

“Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass”

Sony Pictures Classics

Directed by David Wain

Starring Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Ben Wang and Miles Gutierrez-Riley

Rated R

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3 stars

I are inclined to take pleasure in absurdist comedies—I respect the foolish gags, continuous puns and whiplash-inducing non sequiturs. That’s my humorousness, however I perceive that there are audiences on the market preferring extra conventional comedies.

I deliver this up as a preamble to my overview of “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass,” a delightfully foolish journey that can go away some folks grinning in enjoyment, and others shaking their heads, questioning what the fuss is all about.

I had a blast. Your outcomes might range.

The film introduces us to a newly engaged Kansas couple who jokingly talk about their movie star intercourse passes. Gail (Zoey Deutch) is shocked to seek out that her fiancé instantly goes out and sleeps along with his corridor go—a really well-known actress, however no spoilers from me on her identification.

In order to even the taking part in discipline, Gail heads off to Los Angeles to seek out and mattress her pre-approved corridor go. Again, no spoilers concerning the identification of the very-game actor who’s the goal of Gail’s plans.

Before you’ll be able to say “We’re not in Kansas anymore,” Gale and her finest pal Toto, er, Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) be part of forces with a paparazzo (co-writer Ken Marino), a Hollywood agent (Ben Wang) and an growing old, John Slattery-like actor, performed by none aside from John Slattery. They head off to trace down the well-known hunk in a collection of absurdist adventures that embody being chased by two mafia morons (Joe Lo Truglio and Mather Zickel) and probability conferences with a protracted listing of well-known, and not-so-famous Hollywood actors.

It’s meant to really feel like a “Wizard of Oz” parody, though the story isn’t too specific concerning the particulars. Still, it’s enjoyable to acknowledge these “Oz” bits as they creep into this film. Then once more, the movie is so over-stuffed with aspect plots and diversions that it’s comprehensible why the primary story thrust tends to meander.

Deutch is having a blast, channeling Mid-Western. Nice-girl naïveté in her interesting efficiency. Yet, as enjoyable as it’s to observe her having a La La Land journey, it’s the lengthy listing of sport actors who actually make the film shine. Director David Wain has been working in Hollywood for many years and apparently, he known as up each certainly one of his well-known mates for a fast cameo look.

I cherished how some of the well-known of those actors merely reveals as much as sit and smile in a marriage scene. He doesn’t have any traces or a foolish little bit of comedy. He’s simply there grinning within the background, supporting his filmmaking mates.

I additionally respect that regardless of the title, this isn’t a raunch fest by way of a lot of the story. Don’t misunderstand, the movie does function some comedian intercourse scenes, however Gail Daughtry is a healthful and good character that the movie seldom feels prefer it’s wallowing in filth.

So, finally, the movie succeeds as a result of the filmmakers and actors are having a lot enjoyable working by way of one loopy scene after one other. There are some very humorous moments, and it’s continuous amusing, though that will not be sufficient conventional humor for some audiences.

If you want absurdist comedies like “Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie” or “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,” then I think that you just’ll wish to comply with the yellow brick street together with “Gail Daughtry” and her mates.

Movie critiques by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are printed every week in The Port Arthur News and The Orange Leader. Sean welcomes your feedback by way of e-mail at [email protected] You can get extra of Sean’s critiques by subscribing to the two Movie Guys podcast.