I think that’s because Drive-Away Dolls is trying so hard to be this kooky, quirky road trip movie that throws caution to the wind, and while it is definitely that (it’s not PG-friendly, that’s for sure) it also thinks it’s way funnier and more cutting-edge than it actually is. I did chuckle occasionally, but since the film moves like a bullet it’s hard for these jokes to land when the film’s already on another gag before you’ve had time to laugh at the one before it. A comedy should be a speedy watch, but it shouldn’t be exhausting, which this sadly is.
The first half-an-hour of the film is a directionless mess, where any semblance of plot is lost in a string of crude jokes, montages and paper-thin incidental characters
Despite that zany pace, it actually takes quite a while for the plot to get going, especially for a film that’s only 83 minutes long. The basic story is that two girls rent a drive-away car for a road trip, only to realise that their car contains dangerous cargo belonging to a bunch of criminals (think Speed meets Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert), which is a decent set up for a road comedy. The only problem is, it takes forever for them to actually open the boot to find what they’ve been towing halfway across America, and the first half-an-hour of the film is a directionless mess, where any semblance of plot is lost in a string of crude jokes, montages and paper-thin incidental characters that we meet for about two minutes.
The two main characters, played by Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, are also frustratingly inconsistent. It’s a chalk-and-cheese duo basically - Viswanathan’s character Marian would much prefer to chill and read books while on this road trip, but Qualley’s character Jamie wants to live dangerously, going to riotous parties and taking detours. There is an interesting dynamic there for sure, but I found myself connecting to Marian more, since Jamie is a highly annoying character that speaks way too fast to be funny and deeply unlikeable - most of the time she’s dragging her unwilling mate along to things she just doesn’t feel comfortable doing. For what’s supposed to be a frivolous fun movie, there’s certainly a mean streak underneath it that takes away from the enjoyment.
It’s not terrible, it’s just needlessly wacky and sloppily-paced
As I have said, there is some fun to be had at times. In particular, there’s some unexpected guest stars that show up for small but very amusing roles. Miley Cyrus shows up in these psychedelic animated dream sequences to break the fourth wall and speak to someone we don’t know, and the sheer oddness of these sequences is enough to make them unique and memorable. Also, Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal show up briefly, with Damon in particular playing against type which does lead to funny results.
The film is definitely fun like this occasionally but even at 83 minutes long, Drive-Away Dolls feels like it’s stretching a very simple plot and a very peculiar sense of humour over a full-length film, and the comedy just wears thin as a result. It’s not terrible, it’s just needlessly wacky and sloppily-paced, and those negative aspects prove to be the things that drag the film down immensely.