Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo dust off their Bridesmaids bona fides for a strange sketch-comedy stretched surreally to feature length.
A decade after their 2011 hit film Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are back as co-writers and costars in Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar. Their new comedy romp follows Barb (Wiig) and Star (Mumolo), two Midwestern middle-aged suburbanite gal-pals looking to get “their shimmer back” on a trip to the ocean oasis of Vista Del Mar. The wide-eyed duo discovers sea-shell bracelets, hooks up with mysterious Edgar (Jamie Dornan), and accidentally becomes embedded in a murder plot involving super mosquitos. Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar plays like a five minute SNL sketch that stretches into an hour and forty-five fever dream peppered with talking crabs, musical numbers, and culottes.
Wiig and Mumolo have great comedic chemistry as Barb and Star, the culotte fans with a penchant for hot-dog soup. They play off each other with gusto, committing hard to their characters of Barb and Star with corny Midwestern accents, sensible shoes, and coifed hairstyles created with rollers and a hefty spritz of Aquanet. They’re best friends who work together at the “hottest store in town” (Jennifer Convertibles, a furniture store) in Soft Rock, Nebraska. They’ve also loved and lost, and find themselves as roommates in a cozy yet unadventurous life. When they lose their jobs, they embark on a girls’ trip to the beach town of Vista Del Mar, setting them on a journey of self-discovery.
One of the best tricks of Barb and Star is casting Dornan as Edgar, the hunky man of mystery who catches Barb and Star’s gaze. I applaud that Wiig and Mumolo use Dornan, who’s best known for playing Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades franchise, as their eye candy. They’re flipping the script on what’s often portrayed in male-led comedies: the schlubby older male lead romancing an attractive younger woman. Finally, middle-aged women in culottes get to seduce a younger hunk! However, even this hilarious love triangle isn’t enough to fully entertain the audience for an hour and forty-five minutes.
Adding to the outrageousness is an evil villain subplot that follows Sharon Gordon Fisherman (Wiig in a blunt black bob and pale white make-up) as she concocts a plan to destroy her Vista Del Mar at the town’s annual Seafood Jam, coincidentally the same time as Barb and Star’s vacation. This plot involves murderous mosquitoes, a child sidekick named Yoyo (Reyn Doi), and lovesick Edgar, who starts out pining after Sharon as she strings him along to help enact her revenge. She’s a character who appears to exist simply because Wiig and Mumolo needed an antagonist, so why not have Wiig vamp it up? These superfluous scenes distract from the core relationship and don’t add anything other than filler to get Barb and Star to feature length.
Barb and Star is directed by Josh Greenbaum, whose career is an eclectic mix of sitcoms like New Girl and Fresh Off the Boat and documentaries like Becoming Bond and Too Funny to Fail: The Life and Death of the Dana Carvey Show. Greenbaum has mentioned in interviews that he wanted the film to “feel like a vacation for people visually.” Well, there are visuals aplenty, between slapstick comedy (Barb and Star grinding up to Edgar on the dance floor), campy action thrills (Fisherman scheming in her secret underground lair), and surprising musical numbers (Edgar prancing and singing to seagulls on the beach about his love life). Unfortunately, the whirling-dervish tones mean the final result feels less like a smooth vacation and more like a confusing, booze-fogged layover.
Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar doesn’t take itself too seriously, and Wiig, Mumolo, and Dornan commit hard to their characters onscreen, and there are more than a few double-take-worthy celebrity cameos. For those of us quarantining in tight pods, we might feel some catharsis when Barb and Star start to discover their separate selves after living as a secluded duo for so long. Time will tell if the film rises to the cult-comedy status. For now, if you do decide to embark on the journey that is Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, I’d recommend strapping in like you’re Barb and Star getting ready to go on a banana boat: sip some cocktails, dress comfortably, and brace yourself because it’s one heck of a ride.
Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar parks its car where you are (in theaters) February 12th.
Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial