Desperados (2020)

Streaming Services: Netflix

Movie Name/Year: Desperados (2020)

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Length: 105 minutes

Rating: TV-MA

Production/Distribution: Lost City, Good Universe, MXN Entertainment, Netflix

Director: LP

Writer: Ellen Rapoport

Actors: Nasim Pedrad, Anna Camp, Lamorne Morris, Sarah Burns, Robbie Amell, Heather Graham, Jessica Chaffin, Izzy Diaz, Rodrigo Franco, Scott Rodgers, Toby Grey, Jessica Lowe, George Basil, Allan McLeod

Blurb from IMDb: A panicked young woman, with her reluctant friends in tow, rushes to Mexico to try and delete a ranting email she sent to her new boyfriend.

Selina’s Point of View:

Although Cat and I try to be unbiased when we review films, sometimes it’s hard. We’re humans, our environment and circumstances are going to alter how we view things. In this case, we went from reviewing one of the most culturally significant creative projects of this century (on Monday) to reviewing a film that prominently displays a woman getting smacked in the face with a CGI dolphin penis. It’s given me a bit of mental whiplash. I’m still trying to be fair, but it’s a little difficult.

Desperados was pretty much what I expected it to be. It hit all the tropes you would expect from the kind of romantic comedy that the trailer portrayed. It was cringy, it had a moral, and it stuck to the step-by-step recipe in order to create something that was mostly watchable without being a game changer.

I had hoped that the chemistry between Nasim Pedrad (Corporate Animals, Aladdin, Scream Queens) and Lamorne Morris (Bloodshot, Human Discoveries, Jumanji: The Next Level) would elevate the story a bit. I’m a fan of New Girl (2011-2018) – except for that strange last season – and I was looking forward to them being on my screen again. Unfortunately, I found that even their remarkable chemistry couldn’t really bring Desperados above its mediocre claim.

The biggest problem I have is that there were openings in the script for the film to take risks. Had the creators actually gone the risky route, it would have elevated the entire thing so high that even the extended cringe-inducing scenes couldn’t have brought it back down. That bothers me. That actually bothers me more than it would have if those openings weren’t there at all.

I also had an issue with the way the film portrayed the female friendship dynamic. [There’s a spoiler in the next few sentences, if you don’t want to read it then you’ll want to skip to the next paragraph.] The entire film shows the main character’s friends enabling her. They try to stop her a couple of times, but there’s no real effort in it and they eventually go along with the plan. Then, right at the end, they flip the issue and instantly have a problem with the main character making it all about herself. There’s no lead up to the conflict. It’s shoe-horned in, as if the writer suddenly thought to herself that three women couldn’t hang out that long without there being that kind of drama. It was unnecessary, lazy, and cheap.

All-in-all, Desperados was a basic rom-com. It’s not something I would seek out, but it’s not bad if you’re just looking for some background noise. Consider it Rated R, though.

Cat’s Point of View:

Desperados was a welcome dose of crazy fun, and surprisingly insightful. I had guessed the movie would be amusing, relatable, and endearing based on the trailer. I wasn’t counting on the dose of friendship goals with a side of wisdom.

While at times silly, there were still so many good points about this film. First, the comedy was on point. The story was full of both physical humor and wit. I completely bought what they were selling.

It’s sad, really, how much I identify with Wesley, played by Nasim Pedrad. I am both accident-prone and can be a bit dense sometimes when it comes to interactions with others. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth or was oblivious about things that impacted dear friends.  I am so very thankful that my best friends understand (and put up with) my brand of crazy.

While the primary focus of the film rests on the messy relationship woes of Wesley, I loved how each of the trio of besties really got their time to shine in the story as well. Anna Camp (True Blood, Pitch Perfect, Egg) and Sarah Burns’ (Slow Learners, Brother Nature, Unforgettable) characters were excellent foils for Wesley’s shenanigans and had their own inner desperation to work out on the journey.

All told, this was a solid rom-com, and probably even could have been a bit higher on my list of the Top 20 movies releasing this month. I definitely would be comfortable recommending Desperados to anyone needing a good laugh.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 16%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 31%

Metascore – 43/100

Metacritic User Score – 6.0/10

IMDB Score – 5.1/10

CinemaScore – None

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 2.5/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5

Movie Trailer: