Hulu's got a new sister-buddy comedy starring Awkwafina and Sandra and it's called Quiz Lady. It does have some laugh-out-loud moments. So we have a character, Anne, a brilliant but tightly wound game show obsessed young woman, and her estranged trainwreck of a sister Jenny, who must work together to help cover their mother's gambling debts. When Anne's beloved dog is kidnapped, they set out on a wild cross-country trek to get the cash the only way they know how, by turning Anne into a bona fide game show champion.
This was surprisingly much funnier than I thought it would be. I mean, I've been really digging Awkwafina in her roles lately, spanning not only comedies, but also action and dramas. And she's been killing it.
In Quiz Lady, she taps back into her honed comedic skills to play a mousy and shy, but brilliant woman who's been obsessed with this quiz game show since she was a young kid. Sandra Oh plays the estranged sister, and while I know she has some comedy chops, in this she gets to shine, showcasing a ton of absurdity and ridiculousness that made me laugh out loud many times. Now the progression of the movie is very typical and predictable.
A family member with a gambling problem owes a bunch of money, so the kids are then forced to band together in order to get their loved one out of financial chaos. Now there's nothing really deep about the premise, but where this really excels, and again it is predictable, but the relationship drama that plays out between the sisters, it's wonderful to watch. We get to see growth in both of our characters, not changing who they are at the core, but learning to open up to the other and then to step out of comfort zones that have prevented previous closeness as sisters.
Now the banter back and forth, it doesn't always hit the mark, but more often than not, it does create chuckles. And I especially enjoyed when the duo is put into crazy situations, causing them to react absurdly or experience something odd that then creates laughs. Now sometimes these scenes do go on for too long, ruining the setup and potential funniness.
Other times though, the humor is right on point and delivers perfectly. Now for example, there's a moment when Anne is interviewing, and she's so freaked out that she takes something to relax. Now the ensuing scene is cringy and hilarious, with pitch-perfect reactions from both Awkwafina and Sandra.
And because part of the focus of the story is the obsession that Anne has with the quiz game show, there's a lot of footage that's included with small snippets of episodes. Now Will Ferrell plays the host, and I loved the sweetness that he portrays within his character. He's not over-the-top or ridiculous, instead being a tiny bit cheesy, very down-to-earth, and then extremely charismatic.
I'm not always a fan of his acting, but in this he perfectly encapsulates a warm and inviting character who is the exact counterpart Awkwafina's character needs during the key moment. Their interactions are schmaltzy, but they feel genuine, making the scenes endearing and heartwarming. There are a couple of side characters in addition to Will Ferrell, one being Jason Schwartzman, who plays this contestant on the game show.
He nails the character, creating this slimy persona who attempts to ooze charm, but instead comes across like a stereotypical used car salesman. He adds some minor humor, but never anything that made me burst out in laughter. Holland Taylor also has a small role as Anne's neighbor, and while she's fine and contributes a bit to the overall enjoyment, I'm pretty sure she's mainly in this for a gag that starts in the middle of the movie and then pays off much later.
Finally, Tony Hale is playing a hotel owner, and he's awkward and a bit uncomfortable, but he works well within the story and then presents us with a character that is probably familiar in some fashion, just showcasing somebody who's totally committed to a bit for their job, but that bit doesn't exactly work well. Now some of his scenes, they went on too long, making me think the writing and the direction believed that these would create more humor than they actually did. This is 99 minutes, and most of it goes by quickly.
Some scenes are either repetitive or drawn out, losing effectiveness rather than adding to the narrative. These didn't happen a ton, so they're not wholly detrimental to the pacing, but the scenes that just don't land, they're obvious. So the movie would have been better served by editing them out.
Now throughout all of this is the story of sisterhood and family, and while the relationship between Anne and Jenny is sometimes contentious and strained, some beautiful exchanges could make you tear up just a bit. Now I became sucked into their journey together. It was a bit of a rough start, but it found its footing quickly and then took off from there, creating a feel-good story that builds laughs through absurdity and tears through sweet sentimentality.
So overall, Quiz Lady takes an obvious and predictable story and relies on the leads to craft an enveloping narrative. Awkwafina and Sandra Oh are hilarious, displaying excellent comedic timing that transitions to touching moments in a blink, creating hard and soft edges for the respective characters. Will Ferrell complements the duo with charm, heart, and a bit of relatable silliness.
I think the movie deserves a 4 out of 5 stars. And while some scenes and jokes are drug out ineffectively, the overall tone of the story is captivating and emotionally engaging, delivering sweet laughs that are going to put a smile on your face.
