“Joy Ride,” the raunchy girl’s trip comedy starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu opens this week.
It’s the first studio movie to feature a predominantly Asian cast since Marvel’s “Shang-Chi: The Legend of the 10 Rings” in 2021, and the first since “Crazy Rich Asians” in 2018 to feature Asian female leads.
In the film, lawyer Audrey Sullivan (Park) is tasked with securing a business deal in China. She brings along her childhood friend Lolo (Cola) as her translator, as Audrey was adopted by white parents. They’re joined by Deadeye (Wu), Lolo cousin. While in China, they meet up with Audrey’s college roommate Kat, a successful actress. Lolo encourages Ashley to search for her birth mother, and hijinks — with an emphasis on “high” — ensue.
When did “Joy Ride” premiere and when is its release date?
“Joy Ride” premiered at SXSW on March 17, 2023. It opens wide on July 7, 2023.
It’s not to be confused with the similarly titled 2001 film “Joyride” starring the late Paul Walker.
Is “Joy Ride” streaming?
Currently, “Joy Ride” is only available to watch in theaters. You can find showtimes via Fandango or AMC.
Who is in the “Joy Ride” cast?
The ensemble cast includes:
- Ashley Park as Audrey Sullivan, a lawyer who was adopted by white parents as a child
- Sherry Cola as Lolo Chen, Audrey’s childhood friend and an erotic artist
- Sabrina Wu as Deadeye, Lolo’s nonbinary cousin and K-pop superfan
- Stephanie Hsu as Kat, Audrey’s college roommate who became a successful actress in China
- Ronnie Chieng as Chao, a Chinese businessman
- Meredith Hagner as Jess, an American girl the group meets on a train
- David Denman as Joe Sullivan, Audrey’s adoptive father
- Annie Mumulo as Mary Sullivan, Audrey’s adoptive mother
- Timothy Simons as Frank, Audrey’s boss
- Desmond Chiam as Clarence, Kat’s fiance and costar
- Baron Davis as himself, a basketball player
- Alexander Hodge as Todd, a basketball player
- Chris Pang as Kenny, a basketball player
- Rohan Arora as Arvind, a basketball player
- Victor Lau as Jiaying, a basketball player
- Lori Tai Chinn as Nai Nai, Lolo’s grandmother
- Debbie Fan as Jenny, Lolo’s mother
- Kenneth Liu as Wey, Lolo’s father
- Michelle Choi-Lee as Min Park, Audrey’s birth mother
What is “Joy Ride” rated?
“Joy Ride” is rated R for language throughout, drug content, brief graphic nudity, strong and crude sexual content.
What do the reviews say about “Joy Ride”?
In her review, TheWrap critic Lex Briscuso describes “Joy Ride” as “riotously hilarious.” She praises the four leads, with Wu as the MVP.
“It goes out of its way to let Asian women be raucous, raunchy and real, to let them take up space rather than playing into a stereotype of them being reserved,” she writes. “It also gives Asian men the opportunity to be portrayed and seen as total hunks.”
“Joy Ride” is “certified fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 90% critics score and 92% audience score.
Watch the “Joy Ride” trailer
Watch the restricted red-band trailer for “Joy Ride” below: