Joy Ride
Four Asian American friends turn a birth-mother search across China into a wildly raunchy test of loyalty, identity, and self-acceptance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- raunchy
- witty
- frenetic
- girls night
- road trip movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a fast, raunchy, representation-forward comedy with strong set pieces and an engaging ensemble, despite conventional elements.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The four protagonists are Asian American friends navigating belonging, family, and self-acceptance during a trip through China.
The friends' search for Audrey's birth mother becomes an outlandish road trip marked by chaotic impersonations, drugs, and sexual misadventures.
Critics specifically highlight the film's raunchy threesomes, explicit humor, and celebration of women embracing their sexuality.
Audrey travels through China with her friends to find her birth mother and understand her identity.
Films like Joy Ride, and why
Bridesmaids
raunchy female ensemble comedy built around friendship, identity, and escalating comic set pieces
Girls Trip
female friendship, sex-positive humor, and emotionally candid contemporary comedy
The Hangover Part II
outlandish international travel, bawdy humor, and cross-cultural comic misadventure
The Farewell
Asian American identity, family expectations, and warm ensemble comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- Adele Lim
- Release Date
- 2023-06-22
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (512)
Cast
- Ashley Park
- Sherry Cola
- Stephanie Hsu
- Sabrina Wu
- Ronny Chieng
- Lori Tan Chinn
- David Denman
- Annie Mumolo
- Desmond Chiam
- Alexander Hodge
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Joy Ride about?
- Four Asian American friends turn a birth-mother search across China into a wildly raunchy test of loyalty, identity, and self-acceptance.
- What is Joy Ride like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Joy Ride as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Joy Ride violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Joy Ride.
- What did critics think of Joy Ride?
- Critics broadly found the film a fast, raunchy, representation-forward comedy with strong set pieces and an engaging ensemble, despite conventional elements.
- Which films are like Joy Ride?
- Films with a similar feel include Bridesmaids, Girls Trip, The Hangover Part II, and The Farewell.
- How long is Joy Ride?
- Joy Ride runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Joy Ride?
- In United States, Joy Ride streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
