The prank show genre has been around for many years. Everything from “Punk’d” to “Impractical Jokers” has made the schtick popular. Sacha Baron Cohen innovated the style in “Borat,” by intertwining the “pranks” into a cohesive storyline. “Bad Trip,” starring (and made by) comedian Eric André, is similar to “Borat.” While packing some enjoyable moments, it however fails to be as iconic as Cohen’s smash hit.
Eric André has grown to be one of the most underrated comedians in the past couple of years. Despite starting with his pretty popular “The Eric André Show” on Adult Swim, he’s mostly flown under the radar. He’s appeared in various films in small parts, but that’s been about it. “Bad Trip” changed all that. A big part of “The Eric André Show” were the outrageous pranks he pulled on the unsuspecting public. André takes this segment and makes it the highlight of a Netflix feature film. Not only does he get to make more of what made him popular in the first place, but Netflix allows it to be shown to a much more vast audience.
And for the most part, it works. The pranks that put him on the map are every bit as enjoyable as they are in the show. The story on the other hand never hits the same highs. “Bad Trip” follows Chris (Eric André) and his friend Bud (Lil Rel Howery) as they go on a road trip to see Chris’ high school crush. With no mode of transportation, Bud takes his law-breaking sister’s (Tiffany Haddish) car, and she follows them across the country to exact her revenge.
It’s an incredibly weak plot, and the only reason it’s there is to act as set pieces for the pranks. I wasn’t expecting it to be amazing, as the main event was obviously the pranks. But when you see how well “Borat” and its sequel made a compelling story while still keeping its outrageousness, it’s hard to look at “Bad Trip” the same way.
Eric André and Lil Rel Howery in “Bad Trip.” Photo: © 2020 Netflix, Inc.
Every single person besides our protagonists are random, real people. This makes their reactions to André’s crazy stunts all the more enjoyable. There seems to be two types of pranks in the show: the big outrageous ones which often use props or set pieces, and ones where the crazy characters just interact and talk with people. The first few big ones were hilarious, but after the half-way mark, it just got old.
It’s not to say they weren’t entertaining; they were. Just when you see these over-the-top pranks over and over again, the impact is less each time. I found myself enjoying the small interactions more, as nothing will beat the craziness of the real people. With the big pranks, the people seemed like just a reaction shot. But when André got up close and personal, it delivered some of the most hilarious moments of the whole film.
My biggest problem with the movie is it didn’t really justify a feature film. It tried to with its barebones plot, but just making a compilation of all the pranks would have been just as good. André is an extremely funny comedian when it comes to physical humor. When it comes down to it, however, “Bad Trip’s” story doesn’t fully bring the goods.
*”Bad Trip” is currently available to watch on Netflix via subscription.
