Think of a movie featuring spies. There’s James Bond in the 007 franchise, the Kingsman franchise, and of course, there is the recently high-powered Mission: Impossible- Fallout. Now, add some humor to them then you’ll get Johnny English starring the iconic Rowan Atkinson. Now, let’s keep this formula and add in women to the center and you have The Spy Who Dumped Me. With SNL star Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis onboard, what could go wrong? Surprisingly, none! Pioneer Films invited us last week for a special press screening of the movie at MyCinema in Greenbelt and that night had been an endless night of laughter for the press. Continue reading to find out what I loved about the film.
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As The Title Implies…
The plot is pretty basic and is pretty much what the title of the film implies. Audrey (Mila Kunis) was dumped by her boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux) through a text message. Devastated by what could have been the worst breakup, Morgan (Kate McKinnon) comes to the rescue to console her. In true bestfriend fashion, their craziness made things bearable. Apparently, not for a long time. The two women found themselves entangled into the mess brought upon by the double-life being lived by Drew. As a spy, Drew handed over an item to Audrey and Morgan who are now left with no choice but to accomplish the mission that comes with it. Their lives took a sharp turn as they were soon catapulted into the life of a spy.
As soon as their lives changed, the film also hit its stride. The craziness of the events were all hit and no miss that I found myself laughing at the top of my lungs. Kate McKinnon effortlessly stole the spotlight with her comedic timing. Her character Morgan was over-the-top but it was rather charming. Either Susanna Fogel’s writing of the character made it work or McKinnon is naturally great. As if her loud personality is not enough, she is also a staunch feminist. Meanwhile, Audrey is the toned-down version of Morgan. It’s no surprise that their personalities matched.
It’s Them Against the World…Sort Of
What is an espionage film without an object that could possibly cause a worldwide catastrophic phenomenon? The two women flew all the way to Europe to bring a flashdrive to an organization that will keep it safe. Along the way, they came across various people that wanted to take it from them and at the same time, put them in danger. The fiercest of them all, however, is the gymnast/assassin Nadedja (Ivanna Sankho) who saw them as prey. The action, for a comedy film, is pretty brutal. No drop of blood was spared and it is rather adorable. That signaled the audience to take the film lesser of a joke.
High-octane car chase, gun fights, and action put the two clueless women at the center. Luckily for them, Sebastian (Sam Heughan) and Duffer (Hassan Minhaj) were there to watch over them. But then again, this is a spy movie and they cannot trust anyone. Not even each other.
Susanna Fogel’s The Spy Who Dumped Me is surprisingly slap-your-knee funny. It is this year’s The Heat featuring two women put into the center of the action. The perfect chemistry between the leads and their natural comedic timing made everything a hit. There are moments when the humor has almost gone overboard but it’s its insanity that sold the act. If I were you, I would not dump the film just yet. The Spy Who Dumped Me is one of this year’s comedic underdogs!
Director: Susanna Fogel
Cast: Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon
Binge-level: 3.5 out of 5 stars
