Joy Ride movie review: Ashley Park is fun to watch in a film that cruises along amusingly

Cast: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu

Director: Adele Lim

Language: English

Filmmaker Adele Lim is known for writing Crazy Rich Asians, the first film by a major Hollywood studio to feature a majority cast of Asian descent in a modern setting since The Joy Luck Club in 1993, and Raya and the Last Dragon, an animated fantasy adventure inspired by Southeast Asian culture. This is what her Wikipedia says. It’s great if she believes in the idea of inclusiveness, and in the process making films that brim with amusement if not necessarily uniqueness.

In her latest film called Joy Ride, the title almost justifies the briskness of the narrative.

What is it about?

When Audrey’s business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the help of Lolo, her childhood best friend, Kat, a college friend, and Deadeye, Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their epic, no-holds-barred experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

There are multiple characters, many chaotic moments, and lots of confusion. There’s a scene that involves a heartbreaking moment when the character of the protagonist Ashley Park visits her mother’s grave; and it may sound little ridiculous but it kind of reminded me of Aishwarya Rai and Govinda’s film Albela. But that’s about it. This is a film that has many other things to offer.

There was a time when Hollywood was religiously churning out 95-minute entertainers before going all bloated with three and four-hour long opuses, not to forget the OTT boom that took over. Joy Ride is both chaotic and crisp, and the performances are breezy and badass.

Let’s see what Adele Lim has to offer next, inclusiveness included.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

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