'Spa Weekend' Review
- Andrew Auger
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 08/21/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Comedy.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Black Bear.
The Verdict: A Maybe
For a while, there was a serious run of R-rated adult comedies targeted specifically at adult women. That trend was truly ignited by Bridesmaids nearly 15 years ago and gained momentum in the mid-to-late 2010s. Some movies have come close to replicating Bridesmaids’ incredible success—Girls Trip and The Heat are two that come to mind. 2016’s Bad Moms stands out as another example, as Mika Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn tore up the rulebooks of suburbia as women nearing middle age, fed up with being the selfless matriarchs of their households.
Directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, gender-transferring the racy chaos that drove their script for The Hangover, were able to tap into many of the same pleasures that Bridesmaids brought to its female-driven audiences. Random Adam Devine A.I. comedy Jexi aside, Lucas and Moore have barely worked since their Bad Moms Christmas sequel was released nearly 10 years ago. Spa Weekend feels like a comfortable retreat (hah) back to what has worked for them before. This time, their leading ladies are a little older, but the general concept remains the same. Admittedly, though, the results are not nearly as fresh this time around.
Spa Weekend, unsurprisingly, takes place during a much-needed getaway for four childhood friends, most of whom have stayed in touch as they trek through the hardships of middle-aged life. Jane (Leslie Mann) is the single mother whose entire social schedule is covered by family obligations and her work as a lawyer. Work is a major hassle for Sophie (Anna Faris), slaving away as the abused assistant to the type of rich guy who yells at her for making him change his own lightbulbs. Coco (Michelle Buteau) is the type of aggressive woman who wouldn’t stand for that abuse. Still, she leans too far on the other end of the spectrum, and her natural anger has driven a wedge between herself and her fed-up ex-husband (Dominic Ona-Ariki).
One thing that is not an issue for these Cali women is money, so we go along with it when they drop everything and impulsively book a getaway at a luxurious resort by the beach (or a green screen of the beach, at least). There to celebrate Jane’s birthday, the trio want to wind down and relax. “Relax,” however, is not a word that fourth friend Mel (Isla Fisher) has in her vocabulary. An unfiltered Aussie with as many sex toys in her luggage as she has bikinis, Mel sneaks an invite to the resort and starts wreaking havoc. In some ways, that’s bad, as the other girls don’t really want her there and her abrasive attitude attracts the ire of spa goddess Shanti (Erika Heynatz). In other ways, her presence pushes the ladies out of their comfort zone, particularly Jane, who strikes up a romance with a hunky yoga instructor (Adam Demos).
As the rambunctious wildcard, Mel is the obligations of character development unburden the character that both drives the hijinks and yet. Turning back the clock to her extraordinary comedic apex as Gloria in Wedding Crashers, few scenes feature Fisher that don’t generate at least a chuckle or two. The other ladies, all talented, struggle much more, but they also have to pretend like they’re playing women whose lives are substantially changing in the course of these 72 hours. Fisher can riff about getting pregnant from goat yoga.
The movie certainly doesn’t skip any of the things that can make these movies intermittently grating. The constant ad-libbing, showcased to maximum effect in the obligatory end credits blooper reel, yields mixed results at best. The minimal-consequence slapstick and shenanigans rarely feel inspired; if a party’s raging and there’s a flat screen TV in the background, watch out. The life lessons and wrap-ups for various character plots couldn’t matter less and almost feel like a bother to the barrage of F-bombs and raunchy double entendres. The same could be said for the filmmaking itself, complete with a score that sounds like it was plucked from the free YouTube music library.
For every moment that Spa Weekend is funny, two moments fall completely flat. But a 1/3rd success rate is not an unacceptable one, particularly for a movie that could’ve been really dire in the hands of a less experienced cast. I wouldn't say these four actresses play well as convincing longtime friends, but they are convincing scene partners and a solid improv team. That is enough to make Spa Weekend worth it for the target demographic, though it’s a questionable booking for anyone else.
