The Binge (2020)

Streaming Services: Hulu

Movie Name/Year: The Binge (2020)

Genre: Comedy

Length: 98 minutes

Rating: TV-MA

Production/Distribution: American High, LD Entertainment, Hulu

Director: Jeremy Garelick

Writer: Jordan VanDina

Actors: Vince Vaughn, Skyler Gisondo, Dexter Darden, Eduardo Franco, Grace Van Dien, Natalie Paige Goldberg, Marta Piekarz, Zainne Saleh, Esteban Benito, Brittany Garms

Blurb from IMDb: Set in a time where all drugs and alcohol are illegal, the only day anyone can participate in the "fun" is on Binge day.

Selina’s Point of View:

I’ve been trying really hard lately to have a positive outlook on as much as possible. It’s my defense against the endless stream of bad news everyone’s been getting. That said, it’s not always easy to accomplish.

The Binge presented a very difficult case for me. Mainly because, aside from a couple of scenes, it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

When I came across it on Hulu, I thought the plot was interesting. A bit of a throwback to The Purge but as a comedy. I figured, at the worst, it might turn out to be a parody. So, I was ready for a bit of cringe and inappropriate joking. That’s not an issue for me, because I usually love inappropriate jokes.

However, that’s not what I got.

The Binge took itself too seriously to be a parody – but not serious enough to be a general comedy film.

No part of me believes I could ever sit through this movie again. If a friend turned it on, I’d probably just go home. It’s not for me.

Cat’s Point of View:

It has been one crazy week for me so far, and we're only halfway through it! Needless to say, while I didn't remember hearing anything about The Binge before, I was certainly down to watch a comedy for some good laughs to de-stress.

Was it successful? I guess, somewhat.

There was some potential here for some good laughs. I am just not convinced that The Binge hit that mark. I can't say that it wasn't funny at all. I was mildly amused at most.

If the point of the movie was to show us just how ludicrous a state-sponsored free-for-all glorifying the extremes of behavior would be; I'd say they did a decent job. While The Purge goes for shock and awe on a visceral and frightening lynch-mob and witch trial sort of scale; if you can get past the plot-holes within the narrative and lack of negative consequences.

I'm not entirely convinced this was a good ‘cautionary tale.’ Further, I’m not entirely sure that the beginning montage stressing ‘don’t do drugs’ was strong enough for what followed.

I guess I just didn’t buy in. Comedic veteran Vince Vaughn (The Internship, Term Life, Arkansas) wasn’t even able to save it.

There is one positive note, however. Josh Robert Thompson (Skylanders Academy, Do You Want to See a Dead Body?, Family Guy) does an absolutely stunning impression of Morgan Freeman (Oblivion, London Has Fallen, The Poison Rose) as the narrator. I honestly had to check the credits to see whether or not Freeman actually had signed on for this inane escapade. He is known to pop up in unusual places, after all.

If you’re looking for something fluffy and crazy to just turn off your brain and enjoy for the purpose of taking your mind off of the fact that the world is on fire both figuratively and literally – and you’ve exhausted all other options – I’m still not sure this would be the go-to film for you. Nevertheless, it is there.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 23%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 83%

Metascore – 35/100

Metacritic User Score – None

IMDB Score – 4.9/10

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 1.5/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5

P.S.: The song at the end of the movie goes more in depth than the one near the end of the film.

Movie Trailer: