Netflix has added one of the most underrated comedies, one that fans are calling one of the best in recent times. Joy Ride was originally released in 2023 and despite its excellent reviews, audiences didn’t go to see it in huge numbers. However, it may yet become a massive hit after being added to Netflix. The film was added to the streaming platform on March 17 and has an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 90 percent.
The film, which stars Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu, follows a group of four women who travel to Asia together. Audrey (Park), who is on an important business trip, is joined by her childhood best friend Lolo (Cola) as well as Kat (Hsu), a college friend, and Deadeye (Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin. As expected from a comedy of its kind, the trip goes awry and hilarity ensues with many emotional and heartwarming moments as well.
The film’s synopsis reads: “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.”
Audrey has grown up with white parents in the US and during the business trip to China, she is told by an important client that she must find her birth family whom she has never met. What follows is a disatrous trip that involves drug dealers, sex injuries and outlandish impersonation.
Originally released in 2023, the film was overshadowed by other releases but was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. “Prepare to laugh out loud for 95 minutes,” said one movie critic.
Another wrote: “Epic and no-holds-barred levels of hilarity, whilst also being moving and heartfelt.”
When it comes to audience reviews, the sentiment is similar. One recent viewer described it as “a funny and enlightening movie, all the things cliche were there and I loved it, so much fun and the storyline was also really good. Cast was really spot on, with a good chemistry and hilarious scenes”.
Another shared: “Absolutely loved this movie! I laughed til I cried. The shocking scenes were filled with creative, talent driven humor that I will never forget. Ashley Park is a multidimensional gem of a performer. All of the cast killed it. There was never a dull moment. Better than I expected!”
A third called Joy Ride “one of the best comedies I’ve seen in a very long time”.