The Bubble (2022)

[Flack]

In the beginning of the pandemic, making a Hollywood movie while adhering to COVID protocols was difficult and expensive, if not impossible. Over time, procedures were introduced that allowed actors and productions to reconvene. This included social distancing, mask-wearing, and regular testing. Somebody in Hollywood must have been involved in one of those productions and said, "I'll bet we could turn this into a comedy." Thus was born 2022's The Bubble.

The Bubble opens with a group of actors returning to work in order to film the latest entry in a franchise, Cliff Beasts 6: Battle for Everest: Memories of a Requiem. Due to COVID, each of the returning actors -- and there are many -- must follow strict protocols that involve a fourteen day quarantine before being admitting to "the bubble." The film follows the actors as they navigate the bubble and create their special effects-driven and ultimately vapid movie which is being filmed entirely in front of a green screen. As conditions on the set begin to deteriorate and months continue to be added to the scheduled shoot, the actors begin to realize they are being held against their will, and shift their attention to escaping the plush bubble they have entered into.

The cast of actors playing actors is long. Some of the most recognizable are Karen Gillan (Dr. Who), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Leslie Mann, Fred Armisen, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, Maria Bakalova (Borat), Peter Serafinowicz, and maybe ten more. Support comes from Kate McKinnon, rob Delaney, Ross Lee, John Lithgow, Daisy Ridley, John Cena, and even Beck. Judd Apatow directs, and his daughter Iris plays another one of the actors. The amount of stars in this Netflix original film may be the sole reason subscription rates went up in 2021.

Each of the actors is imboiled in some sort of drama -- one is sex-starved, one needs drugs, one keeps trying to rewrite the script, one is trying to save her career after two of the actors who met and married on a previous shoot are now divorced and at one another's throats, and so on. Because there are so many characters and situations, and each one is competing with the primary plot, each one is watered down a few jokes and scenes.

As one of the actors struggles to let the world know that they are being held against their will, a fellow actor knocks the phone out of her hand. "No one wants to hear actors complain about their lives," she says, which sums up the problem with this film. Some people lost their jobs during the pandemic. Some people lost loved ones. It's tough to feel bad for a bunch of rich people complaining that they are stuck in a fancy hotel with room service, sex, drugs, massages, and essentially every amenity you can think of. The film, in a humorous manner, tries to make the situation look awful, but I would trade spots with any of them. Well, not the one who gets her hand blown off by a shotgun when attempting to leave, but the rest, sure, fine.

The Bubble has multiple issues. The first is, it already feels dated. Many of the things related to COVID (like wearing full-face shields) may have existed in 2021 when filming began, but have largely disappeared in 2022. The film may serve better as a time capsule than a piece of entertainment that ages well. Another problem the film fails to overcome is making the characters relatable. If you had to work on a movie set between 2020 and 2022, my guess is you'll find this film hilarious. As someone whose only relationship with films is watching them, I felt like I was on the outside of a bunch of in-jokes. The film wears out its welcome just after the one hour mark, which is a problem when you realize there's a second hour waiting for you.

Perhaps the ultimate irony of The Bubble is that the actors have awful lives full of addiction, broken homes, and failed relationships. The only place they shine is on the set and the only thing they're good at is performing, the one thing and place they spend the entire movie attempting to escape.

[pinback]

Some of the most recognizable are Karen Gillan

This sounds like a great movie.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Some of the most recognizable are Karen Gillan

This sounds like a great movie.

Yah great movie Flack, I'm all in