Rough Night

15

We've all been there right? A night out where things have gotten a little out of hand, usually due to the consumption of alcohol, and done things we've come to regret. To save yourself some pain, here's a tip for you - whatever you do, don't find yourself in a queue to see this film, whatever your state of mind. If you don't heed this advice, then you will only have yourself to blame.

Yes Scarlett Johansson is in it, and yes, usually her projects are worth a look, even the ropey Under the Skin, but her dip into broad comedy drowns on impact.

boom reviews Rough Night
OK let's try a silly dance, maybe that will be funny?!

A big day is on the horizon - some even say the biggest - for Jess (Johansson) as she is about to get married. To celebrate, her friends from college have organised a bachelorette party for her in the party town of Miami. So best friends Alice (Jillian Bell), Frankie (Ilana Glazer), Blair (Zoë Kravitz) and Pippa (Kate McKinnon) let their hair down at a club with a few drinks and some cocaine, before heading back to their waterfront house.

Wanting to keep the party going, they order a male stripper to join them. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but after a shock accident that leaves the stripper dead, the group suddenly find themselves with a major dilemma on their hands - what do they do with it?

It's understandable that no artist wants to be pigeonholed, so no one can fault Johansson, who has of late frantically run down the action path, playing the Black Widow in a myriad of Avenger flicks, as well as a number of kick-ass robot types, wanting to play something lighter. But here's the thing, Johansson, as good an actress as she is, is no Kristen Wiig.

boom reviews Rough Night
OMG this is the end of my career, I just know it.

But if you surround yourself with funny people, it's OK to play the relative straight 'guy'. So, you want a funny female ensemble, so you've got to have Melissa McCarthy. But she isn't available, probably after reading the dire script. So you hire someone less well known, but kind of looks like her. So then you go to hire Rebel Wilson, because she's a quirky antipodean, and really funny. But she's not available, so you hire an American actress to play Australian, which is sure to work out just fine.

It doesn't. And then a pattern begins to emerge; the director wants to hire the cast of Bridesmaids, but simply can't afford them, probably because of how much they have to pay Johansson.

The film ultimately wants to be Bridesmaids II mixed with Weekend at Bernie's and plays out as poorly as it sounds.

It transpires that this effort is a directorial debut for Lucia Aniello, and boy does it show. It's harsh to pile up all the blame at her door, but as she also co wrote this pile of dribble, quite frankly she deserves it. Despite working on a few TV shows, including the unfunny Broad City (of which Glazer co-stars), Aniello misses every single beat on the big screen, managing to cock-up in every department, including the casting of Johansson.

Watching Rough Night is akin to being on a treasure hunt that lasts for just over an hour and a half, and not finding one jewel of a laugh. Now that is rough.

The dead stripper in the film - who probably gets off the lightest - isn't the only stiff on show. Yes, it really is that bad.

we give this one out of five