One of my favorite theater-going experiences was seeing Jackass: The Movie in 2002. People (myself included) were losing their freaking minds. I can’t say for sure that someone peed their pants because they were laughing so hard, but it wouldn’t surprise me. The Jackass movies work best in crowded rooms, as would Bad Trip.
Orion Pictures planned to release the prank-based comedy starring Eric Andre, Tiffany Haddish, and Lil Rel Howery into theaters last year, but that became impossible due to the pandemic. So while it’s maybe not ideal to watch Bad Trip on Netflix (give it an IMAX re-release in 2022), at least you can pee your pants from laughter in the privacy of your home.
Bad Trip came together after Andre met with Jackass director and producer Jeff Tremaine, who told him that while the pranks were funny, he needed a story. “I’d never written a story, I’m not f*cking Aaron Sorkin. I don’t know any of that shit. I’m just a joke writer. Story? Why is everybody hell-bent on story? Who gives a shit,” The Eric Andre Show host told Esquire. “And then I realized the importance of story. I basically had to educate myself. It took years.”
Here’s the official plot description:
Real pranks. Real People. Real Movie.
From one of the guys that brought you Jackass and Bad Grandpa, this hidden camera comedy follows two best friends as they go on a cross-country road trip full of hilarious, inventive pranks, pulling its real-life audience into the mayhem.
Bad Trip premieres on Netflix on March 26.
