Director: Dylan Meyer
Writer: Dylan Meyer
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Alia Shawkat, Cate Blanchett
Synopsis: Two aimless young women inadvertently gain telepathic abilities after ingesting an experimental drug, pitting them against dangerous rivals pursuing the same powerful substance.
Why did Hollywood stop making stoner comedies? Once a staple of the early 2000s, films such as Grandma’s Boy and Pineapple Express proved that audiences were looking for a friendship film with a hazy flair. They offer an abundance of laughs, quotable moments, and original stories that resonate with broader audiences. Thankfully, The Wrong Girls enters the genre at just the right time, and it is a blazing blast. With Kristen Stewart’s cool girl charm and Alia Shawkat’s easygoing comedic timing, The Wrong Girls is the female friendship film of my stoner dreams.
It’s a rather straightforward story by writer and director Dylan Meyer: two roommates with their cats living in a rented house they have dubbed their chill zone. There’s the munchie chef Molly (Shawkat), who manages spreadsheets (poorly) for cash while spending her free time creating her wildest stoner snacks. Frankie (Stewart) is a college dropout, working for a delivery company with a joint hanging out of her mouth. Neither woman is highly motivated; they don’t even earn enough to cover their rent without extensions from their landlord, Jose (Chris Estrada). The film opens with them taking long hits from the masterful glassware that Frankie creates using her engineering skills. From the start, their laid-back, chilled-out personas pull you into a wild trip as the pair have to find a way to make their rent or be thrown to the streets.
When Molly’s boyfriend Josh (Zack Fox) wants her to live her dream of becoming a chef and move in with him, the best friend dynamic shifts. At the same time, Frankie learns that her ex has replaced her with Frances (Kristen Stewart, also), who looks identical to her. They look so much alike that Not Metal Head Dave (LaKeith Stanfield) mistakes Frankie for Frances and hands off an incredibly important briefcase that holds the answer to Frankie’s money woes, or so she thinks. Meyer has all the pieces of a stoner classic on the board, and The Wrong Girls goes from a buddy comedy starring two lovable potheads into a psionic test of loyalty.
It’s hard not to see yourself in either roommate’s shoes; it’s the life everyone has wanted to live at least once. Eating junk food all day with your best friend and smoking weed together while living under the same roof. Getting baked while watching Shark Week, or taste-testing a new culinary concoction that only the inebriated mind can create. Barely making enough to get by but loving every minute of it, there’s no doubt that both Molly and Frankie share a bond that goes beyond a regular friendship. They are inseparable; it’s almost as if they share the same mind, split between two bodies. A sisterly connection that comes naturally to both Stewart and Shawat; it helps that both already genuinely exude a chill girl vibe as is. Their chemistry is what elevates the film from good to great, especially when the pair has to deliver their lines telepathically. It’s hard to see the film working with any other talent in Stewart’s shoes, especially given her performance, which leaves a yearning for more comedy roles.
The Wrong Girls is a refreshing expression of female friendship and of embracing the imperfections of even those who are dearest to us. Yet, the film spends a lot of time insulting Molly and Frankie. Meyer makes it a point to have Molly and Frankie called out several times for being “stupid stoner chicks,” even to the film’s detriment, and it’s the biggest blemish on it. The choices the pair make are definitely facepalm-worthy, but it’s part of the cartoonish humor that comes with the genre. Audiences go into the film knowing the humor will be dumb and silly at times; constantly calling out their choices for that feels redundant. Especially when each scenario the pair are faced with (in their journey to make cash from their mysterious briefcase filled with pink drugs) is that much more hilarious, as the tables turn on those who doubt their stoner powers. Still, the overwhelming insults hurled their way start to become distracting; luckily, they fizzle out right when they become most irritating.
Visually, there’s a signature absurdist nature to The Wrong Girls that is seen from the designs of the chill zone to the clothing each character wears. This is especially evident from the use of bright colors that illuminate the trippiest parts of taking psychedelics, and distorting wide angles. There’s an atmosphere created that makes us question if these things are really happening or if they’re just the imagination of two women who take their fair share of drugs. Todd Banhazl, the film’s cinematographer, captures their dreamlike states as their buzz creeps in, in a place that makes it hard to want to stay sober. Frankie and Molly are styled to reflect their personalities: Frankie likes to wear band T-shirts and has a thin layer of grime in her hair. Molly dons more colorful pieces that glow brightly with the film’s use of neon lights. Each visual element pairs well with the others, elevating it beyond just another comedy film.
While the film’s humor won’t be for everyone, it is more in line with comedy like Superbad; there’s no doubt it has aged. With recreational use legal in many states, the need for counterculture mid-budget films fell off. It’s no longer taboo to talk about using marijuana, and it’s not uncommon to see it in public anymore. But for people who grew up with those films and embraced their themes, The Wrong Girls will more than likely be a hit. Admittedly, some of the film’s bits go on too long, like random dance numbers or telepathic back-and-forths. Meyer juggles a lot within her script; it all mostly works until you’re in the third act of the film waiting for the punchlines to roll. When she is displaying the perks of female friendship with a chronic twist, she knocks it out of the park, but as the film delves into increasingly wild predicaments, like car shootouts, it suffers most.
Overall, summer should feature more films like this, original mid-budget comedies for adults. Stewart and Shawat will hopefully usher in a new wave of stoner comedies that place broke 30-something cat-mom girl failures at the forefront. For her first feature, Meyer’s The Wrong Girls is ambitious; though it’s far from perfect, it’s a breath of dank air.
