Jess and her friends from college head to Miami, Florida, for her bachelorette party. During their debauchery getaway, they accidentally kill a male stripper at their beach house. What ensues is a wild and crazy night as they try to cover it up.
Summed up rather succinctly as a gender-reversed version of The Hangover, Rough Night is a raunchy, dark comedy led by a female ensemble, including Scarlett Johansson and Zoe Kravitz, and comedians Jillian Bell, Kate McKinnon and Ilana Glazer of Broad City fame.
Contrary to what you might expect from the plot, the film is not spliced together by a series of crude side gags. There is a satisfying amount of character development, and while the story doesn’t unfold in the most original or highbrow of ways, it has enough twists and turns to keep you entertained, such as a hilarious subplot featuring Jess' fiancee.
Filled with recurring jokes about the human anatomy and mostly situational humour, you’ll smile and laugh in spurts, but it’s also easy to see why some audiences won’t find it funny or enjoyable. It extends to using some very silly scenes that feel contrived, and there are some cases where the jokes just don’t land.
Overall, Rough Night isn’t as witty or amusing as other female-oriented comedies such as Bridesmaids or Bad Moms, but it’s surprisingly well put together. The simplistic plot is easy to digest, and the cast’s solid chemistry lends a certain feel-good factor that adds to the film’s appealing quality.
If you enjoy films of a raucous vein, go see it. Just don’t bring the family.
