Sophia Michaels
In Adele Lim’s directorial debut, “Joy Ride,” a trip to China turns into a wild and hilarious journey of self discovery. Starring “Emily in Paris” actor Ashley Park and Sherry Cola as best friends Audrey and Lolo, the movie follows the two as they head to China on a business trip with the hope of finding Audrey’s birth mother. However, their plans are derailed when they meet a drug dealer on the train who ropes them and their friends, Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) and Audrey’s former roommate Kat (Stephanie Hsu), into her dangerous operation. In one of the trailer’s funniest scenes, the friends attempt to dispose of all the drugs by ingesting them and hiding them on and in their bodies.
Lim’s goal for the film was to make a comedy in the vein of “The Hangover” and “Bridesmaids” that puts the spotlight on young Asian women. “There’s a certain way Asian American women particularly are portrayed in TV and film — there’s a lot of exoticization and fetishization,” she said in an interview with Vanity Fair. “We really wanted to tell a story inspired by our friendship and our friends, and having characters that were messy and thirsty and just pieces of work.”
“Joy Ride” made its world debut at the SXSW festival in Austin on March 17. The movie promises to be an unapologetic comedy about friendship, finding your roots, and having a whole lot of fun along the way.
