THE BUBBLE
Starring: Karen Gillan, Iris Apatow, Fred Armisen, Maria Bakalova, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, Leslie Mann, Kate McKinnon, Pedro Pascal, Peter Serafinowicz, and Guz Khan
Director: Judd Apatow
ADRIANO
As an avid admirer of writer/director Judd Apatow, I was disappointed by The Bubble. This film is just such a departure from Apatow's other works. While he excels in relatable and accurate relationship dramedies, this is a failed attempt at meta absurdism comedy with outdated themes and an unfocused plot. It’s not all terrible though, as the cast is fully committed (particularly a hilarious Pedro Pascal) and there are some jokes that had me howling; However, the jokes missed more than they hit. The only thing that truly made this feel like an Apatow film is the overlong runtime.
JOSEPH
It’s hard to imagine how a Judd Apatow film could be so bad. Maybe it's too timely or maybe it thinks it's more clever than it is, but all in all, The Bubble is just a snooze fest. It’s forgettable, it’s dumb, and while certain parts will make you laugh, it doesn’t make up for the movie as a whole. This feels like a student improv workshop that somehow got turned into a script. I am saddened that I ever wasted time on it.
QUENTIN
I think director/co-writer Judd Apatow had a decent idea with The Bubble, which is akin to Tropic Thunder: Pandemic; However, in 2022, I can’t tell if it’s too soon or too late. Either way, it’s a complete misfire. Social distancing, quarantine, and testing jokes feel both too dated and still too much of a sore subject to be funny. On top of that, it feels very inside baseball, like it was made only for people who shot a movie during the pandemic. Admittedly, there are a couple funny one-liners because a cast this talented can’t be held down forever, but, otherwise, oof.
