- Rating: 1.5/5 stars
- Verdict: "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass" has a loaded cast, filled with talent. But neither Zoey Deutch nor a "Mad Men" reunion between Jon Hamm and John Slattery can save this comedy movie. Especially since its comedy seems solely aimed at the actors in it, or those deeply connected to the Hollywood industry.
- Where to watch: See "The Invite" in theaters now
There's a saying that comedy is tragedy plus time. Unfortunately, not enough time has passed since I saw the tragic "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass" for it to be a comedy I want to see again.
Granted, this was never going to be the biggest summer movie of the year. While the cast of the latest film from "Wet Hot American Summer" writer/director David Wain is certainly talented enough — you can sell me on Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm and John Slattery any day — this always had a whiff of being an indie darling and nothing more. But I at least expected it to be funny, especially after watching the trailer.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm in the minority when it comes to disliking this movie and its jokes within. It currently holds an 80% fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. But I'm notably not the only critic to find it a miss, and nearly all of us blame it on the comedy in this comedic film simply not landing its punchlines.
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022. He watches dozens of new releases every year to make sure you don't have to watch any of the bad ones.
‘Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass’ is a great premise poorly executed
The "hall pass" is not a new trope in romance. It's been done in plenty of shows and movies; my favorite example is Ross in "Friends" being shut down by Isabella Rossellini after she discovers she was taken off his list of celebrities he can be with for a fleeting tryst without reprisal from his partner.
And that's the initial thrust of "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass," a title that is very much literal. Gail (Deutch) discusses the idea of being able to hook up with one celebrity, no strings attached, with her fiancé, Tom (Michael Cassidy). He finds it silly, but says that his choice will be Jennifer Aniston.
Spoiler alert: He meets Jennifer Aniston, and they hook up. So now, Gail goes to Hollywood to meet Jon Hamm (her "celebrity pass") and sleep with him, so she can even the score and finally marry Tom.
Now, that's not a bad premise. In fact, it's a pretty good one. It's then quickly muddled by Gail and a motley crew of misfits accidentally picking up a briefcase that belongs to a dangerous criminal (Sabrina Impacciatore), turning their quest to find Hamm into a fight for survival.
But that's not the most egregious misstep by this comedy. Nor is that it essentially is a twist on the "Wizard of Oz" by the time the movie's plot concludes. The worst thing about this comedy is the comedy.
Some bits work. There's a helpful hotel concierge who shows Gail and her friend, Otto (Miles Guiterrez-Riley), where to get a coffee, a bite to eat and the best oral sex you can get behind a Foot Locker. There's also a scene where they (and a few others) accidentally intrude on the musician Weird Al Yankovic, who proceeds to chase them off with an assault rifle.
But the movie mostly just assaults you with a spray of comedic bits, most of which either miss the mark or misfire entirely. A recurring joke about CAA may be funny to the actors in "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass," several of whom might even be represented by the Hollywood agency, but it probably isn't to most anyone else. Narration can be funny when used sparingly, but it can get old fast, as it does in this movie. And ultimately, at the end of this film, which is just 94 minutes long, you're left wondering what the point of this movie was, let alone what the point was in you watching it.
Verdict: I didn't like this movie, but you might
I know I just spent paragraphs bashing it, but to be clear: I wanted to like this movie. If I think a movie is going to be bad, I try to avoid it unless it's a professional obligation. This movie had a funny premise, a great cast and a good trailer.
I also like David Wain's previous films, "Wet Hot American Summer" and "Role Models," as well as his iconic comedy shows "The State" and "Stella." I also like Ken Marino, who co-wrote and stars in "Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass." In short, everything was set up for me to like this movie.
But there's no denying I did not enjoy this movie. In fact, it's one of the worst movies I've seen all year.
That's just my take and my taste, though, and yours may differ. I'd say that, if the trailer doesn't speak to you at all, there's no chance you'll like this movie. But if, like me, you liked the trailer, wait for this movie to arrive on Netflix. As a Sony Pictures Classics film, it will eventually make it to the streaming service, where you can watch it as part of your subscription. That way, if you don't like the movie, you can stop watching rather than being stuck in a theater.
"Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass" is in theaters now
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