The Bubble (2022)

The Bubble (2022)

 

2/10

 

Starring

Karen Gillan

Iris Apatow

David Duchovny

Keegan-Michael Key

Leslie Mann

Pedro Pascal

Directed by Judd Apatow

 

I think the best way to start contemplating why we exist at all is by watching this movie. So, if you love your life, avoid seeing it. It’s obvious the world is struggling for content—this movie even states that right at the beginning. The lack of good content is why studios now greenlight nonsense like this. There was a time when Netflix was the go-to place for great movies that other studios wouldn’t dare produce. Now, Netflix and other production companies are straining for good movies. It feels like all the great writers, directors, and producers have been stretched too thin across the endless production studios and streaming services. Honestly, that’s the only way to justify how this movie got made.

The Bubble is supposed to be silly, funny, and entertaining. It has a great cast, filled with comedians who know how to deliver laughs, and it only had one job: get the right script and story to make it work.

Unfortunately, this movie is neither funny nor entertaining. It’s not even silly enough to be one of those "so bad it’s good" films. It’s just plain bad. The only remarkable thing about this movie is how it managed to achieve absolutely nothing for two hours.

Not one joke made me smile, and not a single moment made me go, "Oh, that’s interesting." That, to me, is the truly amazing part—how bad it really is.

You’d think making fun of a movie production set and the ridiculous things that happen there would be easy. Add the constraints of the pandemic, as this was filmed during the height of it, and the concept should have worked. The premise—filming during a pandemic where the cast is stuck in a bubble until the movie is completed—sounds like a comedic goldmine.

But somehow, they managed to ruin every opportunity. They drained the humor out of the absurdity of confinement, made bad use of any weirdness, and turned supposedly quirky characters into insufferable caricatures.

The plot revolves around the production of a franchise film called Cliff Beasts 6. The cast is gathered for what’s meant to be a three-month shoot, with everyone living in a "bubble" to comply with pandemic restrictions. The film portrays actors as self-absorbed, clueless people with no real lives outside their egos. Studio executives are desperate for success and bring in a social media influencer, hoping to attract a new audience.

Of course, things don’t go as planned. The actors lose their minds on set, behaving in ways that parody every stereotype about "difficult" actors. The production spirals into chaos, culminating in a total disaster. And that’s where I’ll stop describing the plot—because, frankly, you shouldn’t bother watching it.

How anyone in the cast decided to sign up for this movie is beyond me.

This film was written and directed by Judd Apatow, who also cast his wife (Leslie Mann) and daughter in what can only be described as a complete mess.