'Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass' Review
- Dempsey Pillot
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 07/10/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Comedy.
MPAA: Rated R.
The Verdict: A Must-See
If you’ve ever been in a healthy romantic relationship, chances are you’ve discussed your “celebrity hall pass.” After all, the idea of having permission to sleep with a specific, predetermined celebrity is laughable and statistically unlikely. But what if your significant other actually did cross paths with their celebrity crush, and got the chance to get intimate? (Not so funny anymore, right Mark?) That’s the premise of David Wain’s latest loaded comedy Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass.
The film follows a small town hairdresser named Gail Daughtry whose life is turned upside down after a series of events leads her fiancee to cheat on her with his celebrity hall pass. Realizing she won’t feel better until she has sex with her own celebrity crush, she embarks on a quest to Hollywood to track him down. Along the way she gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy and befriends a group of misfits with their own seemingly impossible goals.
On the surface level, this is the kind of screwball comedy Wain has made before, complete with over-the-top gags, unexpected one liners and even the obligatory Wet Hot American Summer cameo. But what makes it particularly entertaining - and sets it apart from some of his other works - is that it’s also a parody of The Wizard of Oz. The connections aren’t immediately obvious. But when Gail (Dorothy’s last name) starts prancing around in ruby red shoes with her best friend Otto (an anagram of Toto), you can plainly see what Wain is trying to do.
While Wicked overwhelmed society’s senses with Wizard of Oz content, Wain feels like he’s actually trying to reclaim the classic and re-establish what made it so charming. Painting Hollywood as Oz is just a clever bonus because there are equally as many strange creatures, side quests and places that you never know where you will find yourself next. And that’s exactly what makes this funky premise work. The farther Gail’s journey takes her, the less it becomes about getting laid, and more about finding yourself in a world that’s so easy to get lost in.
Zoey Deutch continues to prove she can do no wrong as the titular character, trading in her dramatic chops for slapstick. Not once does she flinch from the script’s silliness. The result is the kind of comedic chaos you may only find nowadays in a rogue Saturday Night Live skit. The fact that her co-stars are willing to commit to every bit makes it one hell of a ridiculous rollercoaster ride.
Miles Gutierrez-Riley (Smile 2) plays the aforementioned Otto, the loyalest sidekick Gail could ask for. Ben Wang (Karate Kid: Legends) plays Caleb, the stand-in for Scarecrow and Hollywood agent without any brains. Ken Marino (Burning Love) takes on double duty as both the film’s co-writer and the tech-savvy stand-in for Tin Man. Rather than a missing heart, he’s a disgraced paparazzo in search of the perfect photo op. Mad Men’s John Slattery is the film’s stand-in for the Cowardly Lion and arguably steals the show as a fictionalized version of himself, who is literally fighting to get his mojo and starpower back. As mismatched as they all originally seem at first, the more time they spend together, the more magical their chemistry feels. While it’s hard to top Dorothy and her original clique, the charming and humorous rapport that develops between the group as they discover their inner strengths is undeniable.
Despite the film’s obvious homage and chemistry, it’s not without its issues. The biggest being the conspiracy Gail gets caught up with. Early on in the film, she mixes her suitcase up with one belonging to a criminal queenpin named Ludovica (played by Sabrina Impacciatore). Then, as she searches for her celebrity quest, she is constantly chased by a seemingly endless supply of henchmen. The subplot is entertaining. And while Impacciatore is a stand-out as the obvious stand-in for the Wicked Witch of the West, her arc feels like total filler.
Additionally, the film feels a bit too “inside baseball” with its references to Hollywood. Those references, while absolutely hilarious at times, may isolate viewers who have never been to Hollywood or who are not familiar with the culture because its reputation is too prestigious. It would be different if the film was about a place with a much worse reputation like Florida…
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is not David Wain’s magnum opus. That honor will forever belong to Wet Hot American Summer. But this humorous and horny homage to The Wizard of Oz feels destined for cult status. If not for Zoey Deutch’s fearless performance or the barrage of buffoonery from its equally game supporting cast, then for the way it’s silliness will stick with you long after its climax.
