The Bubble (2022)

Streaming Service: Netflix
Movie Name/Year: The Bubble (2022)
Genre: Comedy
Length: 126 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: Apatow Productions, Netflix
Director: Judd Apatow
Writer: Judd Apatow, Pam Brady
Actors: Harry Trevaldwyn, Samson Kayo, Peter Serafinowicz, Danielle Vitalis, Karen Gillan, Rob Delaney, Chris Witaske, Audrina Woolrich, Grant Woolrich, Guz Khan, Maria Bakalova, Vir Das, Leslie Mann, Iris Apatow, Nick Kocher, Pedro Pascal, Galen Hopper, Keegan-Michael Key, David Duchovny, Fred Armisen, Kate McKinnon, Maria Bamford, Ross Lee, Raphael Acloque, John Lithgow, Austin Ku, John Cena, Beck, James McAvoy
 
Blurb from IMDb: A group of actors and actresses stuck inside a pandemic bubble at a hotel attempts to complete a film.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Wow. Ok. That caught me off guard.
 
I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Bubble. I hadn’t heard anything about it, even when I was collecting information about the movies coming out. It just kind of popped up on Netflix one day. So, we chose it for the schedule out of curiosity.
 
What it turned out to be was a kind of caricature-style parody. A 2-hour long parody. That is a long-ass time for that kind of thing.
 
It seems like they were trying to do something in the vein of Tropic Thunder (2008). They didn’t succeed, though.
 

Most of my laughter during the film was the uncomfortable kind. I asked myself ‘why?’ a lot.
 
The Bubble touched on a lot of stuff about COVID-19 that was somewhat relatable – especially where quarantining is concerned – but I just didn’t find most of it funny. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it disrespectful, but it was more cringe than anything else.
 
There was also a lot of gross-out humor that I just don’t lean toward. A few good lines here and there didn’t really save anything.
 
It’s possible that someone with a different sense of humor might enjoy it, but it’s not for me.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve been waging a bit of an inner debate with myself over The Bubble. Part of me cringes at the very thought that it’s a movie about filming during the coronavirus pandemic. Then this little voice inside pipes up with “bless their hearts, they tried.” At the same time, however, I found myself sporadically entertained while watching this film and didn’t entirely loathe the experience.
 
Let me mince no words here – it was bad.
 
The Bubble was a self-aware sort of bad that dances with the notion of ‘so-bad-it’s-good.’
 
Those of us scrambling through the ‘real world’ having a hard time simply buying toilet paper and basic staples might have a hard time connecting to the plight of an actor at a resort hotel in the UK where quarantine involved endless room service. On the flip side with that, though, I think that The Bubble touched on underlying issues that have affected everyone – regardless of occupation.
 
Most of us have gone a little stir-crazy during lockdown. It’s fairly safe to say that a grand majority have felt a little starved for contact with friends and relatives kept at a distance due to social distancing and travel restrictions.
 

Sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying or screaming, right? I know I’ve hit a few of those points in the last couple of years. So, let’s put the pandemic aside, for now, and look at The Bubble a little differently.
 
In the last few months, I know I’ve knocked on unnecessary sequels popping up. The Bubble takes a jab at that very notion of a studio pushing for a cash grab to capitalize on an existing well-worn franchise under the guise of giving the world something to entertain them and take their minds off world events.
 
Everything was so over-the-top very purposefully. I admit, I found myself laughing in spite of my occasional cringe and eye-rolling.
 
Love or hate the movie, you’ve got to admit the cast was pretty amazing. Of course, I have some stand-out favorites such as Karen Gillan (In A Valley of Violence, Stuber, The Call of the Wild), Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu, Green Eggs and Ham, Schmigadoon!), and Pedro Pascal (Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Triple Frontier, We Can Be Heroes).  There were also some surprising cameos laced throughout that were well placed and added great little moments.
 
The whole thing was bonkers but oddly worked. The Bubble was the April Fools gift from Netflix and Judd Apatow (This Is 40, Trainwreck, The King of Staten Island) that I think we all needed. Just remember not to take it too seriously. It was supposed to be a trainwreck. Mission accomplished.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 23%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 35%
Metascore – 34%
Metacritic User Score – 3.4
IMDB Score – 4.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 1.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5
 
Movie Trailer: