Entertainment
Karen Gillan’s Raunchy, R-Rated Netflix Comedy Is A Mega-Budget Lockdown
By Robert Scucci
| Published
After watching 2022’s The Bubble and then taking a peek at the reviews for the Netflix Original over at Rotten Tomatoes, I’m thoroughly convinced that people don’t know how to have fun. Having been absolutely punished with a 20 percent critical score and a 30 percent audience approval rating, you’d think that The Bubble is a complete failure on every level. My takeaway is that, while disjointed at times, it’s meant to be when you consider the film’s subject matter.
It’s about a bunch of entitled actors, most of whom are past their prime (except for the TikTok girl), locked up in a mansion during the COVID-19 pandemic while trying to make an epic CGI dinosaur movie in the vein of Jurassic World Dominion, with exceedingly disastrous results. While I admittedly haven’t seen a ton of pandemic-era movies that operate on this level of meta commentary, the framework works perfectly as a way to trap all of this talent in one place.
That talent, including Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, Fred Armisen, Iris Apatow, Leslie Mann, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kate McKinnon, clearly has a blast with the premise because most of them have been in movies like this before. Their on-set interactions feel like they’re coming from a genuine place of frustration, which makes the satire land even harder.
Quiet On The Set!
The Bubble primarily focuses on Carol Cobb’s (Karen Gillan) struggles as she signs onto the latest installment in the Cliff Beasts franchise, Cliff Beasts 6: Battle for Everest – Memories of a Requiem. Having committed career suicide after starring in the profoundly anti-semitic Jerusalem Rising 2, Carol reluctantly returns to Cliff Beasts as a way to repair her reputation.
Here’s the kicker. The world is still operating under strict COVID-19 lockdown protocol, so production is riddled with problems from the start. Every cast member has to self-quarantine for two weeks in the luxury hotel where filming takes place. Once quarantine is lifted and production can finally begin, we’re introduced to the rest of the cast and crew under the supervision of Darren Eigan (Fred Armisen), an indie filmmaker who has never worked on a big-budget blockbuster before.
Joining the ranks is Dustin Mulray (David Duchovny), who, functioning as a de facto producer, constantly wants to rewrite the script. He mostly wields his influence to win Lauren Van Chance’s (Leslie Mann) affection by giving her better dialogue and more screen time. Pedro Pascal’s Dieter Bravo is a sex and drug addict who clearly needs rehab, but he also needs the payday to fuel his habits, making him a true wildcard. Rounding out the group is Sean Knox (Keegan-Michael Key), who is quietly trying to start a wellness cult while not actively working on the film.
Functioning as the new blood in the Cliff Beasts franchise is Krystal Kris (Iris Apatow), who is so popular on TikTok that Darren is pressured into casting her at the urging of Paula (Kate McKinnon), the studio executive pumping money into the series, to guarantee a viable return for her shareholders.
A Total Disaster Flick
As days turn to weeks, which turn to months, Cliff Beasts 6 runs into one problem after another. Creative differences boil over. Vices begin to take hold. Cast and crew members get sick, though it’s just the flu so they can still work. Stunts are coordinated remotely by John Cena’s Steve, who has a weak signal on his iPad, resulting in serious injuries. Everybody slowly succumbs to cabin fever, and their attempts to escape the compound are met with disciplinary action. Lauren gets her hand shot off, and every actor is forced to wear a tracking device, for example. It’s indentured servitude wrapped in Hollywood accounting, and it’s beautiful.
The meta commentary in The Bubble is what really seals the deal. Each actor wants to complain about their work conditions, only to realize they’re living in a luxury hotel with every amenity imaginable at their disposal. While the production of Cliff Beasts 6 is clearly grueling, they still have the kind of job security most people would risk their lives for, especially during a global pandemic that put countless people out of work.
Now that I think about it, as I’m writing this review, I could see why viewing the pandemic through this lens could rub some people the wrong way. But that’s entertainment, baby.
The “Special Effects” Are The Best Part
My favorite wink and nod in The Bubble is the Cliff Beasts 6 production itself. Shot entirely on green screen, we see the movie from an audience perspective, complete with flying, fire-spitting dinosaurs. The second Darren yells “cut,” we see the reality, which is actors dangling awkwardly from wires and crew members standing in as creatures, wearing green boxes that will be edited in post. We get action sequences that resemble Jurassic World Dominion, a film produced under similar circumstances and the clear target of The Bubble’s satire, and then immediately see how the sausage is made, along with how petty everyone involved truly is.
If I had to compare The Bubble’s energy to any somewhat recent film, I’d say This Is the End is a solid stylistic and spiritual counterpart. While that film features real actors playing exaggerated versions of themselves, The Bubble features real actors playing fictional actors who are playing characters in the movie they’re shooting. The clashing egos, holier-than-thou attitudes, and petty grudges are very much the same in every other aspect.
If you like a sharp, snarky satire that celebrates the very art form it’s actively mocking, with a cast that understands exactly how the industry works, The Bubble will not disappoint. It’s not high-brow stuff, but it’s carried by its ensemble and works far better than you’d expect if you’re judging it by reviews alone.
The Bubble is a Netflix Original and can be streamed with an active subscription.
