We could all use a laugh right about now and the new Hulu Original, Vacation Friends has just the dose of comedy that you need. Starring Lil Rel Howery and John Cena and premiering on the streaming service on Friday, August 27, 2021, the synopsis is as follows: In this raw and raunchy comedy, strait-laced Marcus and Emily (Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji) are befriended by wild, thrill-seeking partiers Ron and Kyla (John Cena, Meredith Hagner) at a resort in Mexico. Living in the moment, the usually level-headed couple lets loose to enjoy a week of uninhibited fun and debauchery with their new “vacation friends.” Months after their walk on the wild side, Marcus and Emily are horrified when Ron and Kyla show up uninvited at their wedding, creating chaos and proving that what happens on vacation, doesn’t necessarily stay on vacation.
Sounds like a wild ride. The film is directed by Clay Tarver (Silicon Valley), written by Tom Mullen & Tim Mullen and Clay Tarver and Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley. The producers include Todd Garner (Tag, Playing with Fire) and Timothy M. Bourne (Love, Simon, The Hate U Give), with Steve Pink and Sean Robins serving as executive producers.
Well, recently I was invited to a virtual press conference with the cast of the film including John Cena, Yvonne Orji, Robert Wisdom, Andrew Bachelor, and writer/director Clay Tarver. Moderated by Grae Drake, it was definitely the most hilarious and entertaining one I’ve been a part of. Lil Rel Howery wasn’t even scheduled but made a surprise appearance that no one was expecting. Now, let’s get into what went into making this film such a gut-buster.
“…hopefully we can be Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.”
Q & A
Beginning with a brief introduction by Grae Drake
Grae: Hello, world, and welcome to the party. This is the press conference for Vacation Friends, which is premiering on August 27th in the US on Hulu and on Star, on Disney Plus internationally. […] I’m really excited to welcome our guests today. So pick up your adult beverages and toast to John Cena, Yvonne Orji, Robert Wisdom, Andrew Bachelor, and our Writer/Director Clay Tarver.
Grae begins with a hilarious perfect question that fits perfectly with the theme of this film.
Grae: So let’s just start out, like, nice and slow. Best drugs you’ve ever done on vacation, go.
John Cena: Anti-inflammatories.
He also adds
John: Over-the-counter amphetamines, like a strong cup of coffee.
Yvonne Orji: Malaria-prevention pills…
Robert Wisdom’s screen froze, so Grae went on to have John Cena describe his character, Ron. She also asked how much he may be like Ron.
John: […]I think as performers, we always try to take either extensions of ourselves or possibly the opposite of our personality. […] I think the-the-the characteristics that I find in Ron is the ability to be present, the ability to be in the now, and the ability to enjoy the-the journey of life. […] He’s not ashamed to be who he is. And he certainly is the captain of the ship when it’s, uh, it comes to having a good time.
Yvonne Orji is asked the same question.
Yvonne: […] Emily is, she is fun. Uh, not as reserved as, uh, Marcus, but uh, she just wants things to go well. She might be a little bit of a people pleaser, which I identify with.
Up next is Andrew Bachelor but Grae adds on to his question by asking him, how agro are you?
Andrew: […] I am competitive, and I think just grown’ up doing sports that’s what made me competitive. Gabe loves his family. He loves his sister, Emily. He’s there to protect her. Um, so that’s why he doesn’t like when, uh, when Marcus gets involved.
After Robert unfreezes, he answers the same question as well with a laugh.
Robert: Well in reality, I’m just like that guy; I’m a stuffed shirt. I’m very, uh, full of myself. And, uh, and I-I don’t like too many people. I love my son and daughter though.
Lil Rel Howery eventually shows up and describes his character, Marcus.
Lil Rel: I mean I’m cooler than Marcus, first of all.
John agrees. Rel continues.
Lil Rel: […] he’s a dude that-that he has his own business. You know, he owns a construction company. He’s got all these amazing things. But he hasn’t really let his hair down for real. I like playing really irritated people […] And I love, like, his facial reactions to, like, what somebody’s saying, what’s happening. […] What you’re gonna see throughout the movie is just him kinda loosen up. And that’s-that’s what made Marcus really dope. […] But Marcus is just a very focused-who’s in love with his fiance. […] But he just, you know, he’s a stiff guy. And this vacation changes everything.
Next is writer and director Clay Tarver on what is the most relatable aspect of the film.
Clay: Well, I think we all go on vacation. You meet somebody and you sort of get close with them for a week, maybe a little too close. You know? And then when it-when you return to, like, the sober light of day, you’re like, wait were we friends or were we not friends? […] You sort of have this freedom to, like, go a little bit out of your comfort zone because you think you’re never gonna see them again. And, uh, well this is a movie, uh, where the premise is sort of what if you do see them again?
When it comes to the overall thoughts of the film and what comedies are missing, Lil Rel had this to say,
Lil Rel: […] I think audiences is going enjoy just seeing […] almost like a blueprint of what was fun. And this movie is so funny. […] one of the things I think comedies are missing is just being straight-up funny. And this is just really a straight-up funny movie. And laughter is so important right now. I think laughter is just good for the soul. And I-I think people are really gonna enjoy this movie.
John adds to Rel’s answer.
John: […] I know fo-folks will be watching internationally on Star and Disney Plus, um, being a-a physical performer in the WWE, the reason we transcend so many boarders, is because you get the action. I think what Clay brilliantly did in the script was provide a ton of physical comedy. So it’s also a movie that you can even not necessarily know what’s going on with the audio and see the movie and laugh along with it because of the tremendous amount of physical comedy. And I think that’s gonna help us around the world. And hopefully we can make a lot more people laugh.
I got in a question this time around and after I told Andrew that it was good to see him make it through an entire film without dying, I asked John and Rel if there are any plans for future films since they have such great chemistry.
John: Oh, thanks for saying that. I really do hope so. […] I think initially it started with a professional respect that we have for each other and-and certainly both of us excited about the script and wanted to do the film. And, uh, Clay being kind enough to-to like Rel said, just kinda let us go and be us. […] and as Rel put it, the-you know, the words and the comedy were on the page, and-and we just got to kinda lean into it to what we wanted to show. Uh, I-I had a blast. I’d love to do it again.
Lil Rel: Yeah, same here. […] I mean me and John we was on a boat and we were just talking about wrestling and I was talking about comedy. […] I’m a big wrestling fan too. So like, I’m like, yo he actually really […] love what he does. And I think just working with somebody else that love what they do and so passionate about it, it made it easy for us to play.
He continues his admiration.
Lil Rel: And then like, I love the fact that John was open to, like, trying things, having fun with it and whatever, even if it was the silliest thing, he did it. So yeah, hopefully yeah, hopefully we can be Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.
Vacation Friends premiers on August 27th in the US on Hulu and on Star, on Disney Plus internationally. Stay safe and enjoy.
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Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
