I Suspect This Comedy Is About to Become the Top Movie on Netflix—Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Get Sucked Into the Hype

The first portion of The Bubble is all great fun, and the scenes that the actors film for Cliff Beasts 6 are hysterical too, whether it's Mann putting on a fake Southern accent or the crew members telling the cast not to touch, but instead to make “sweet eyes” at one other from afar.

And although the beginning of the film certainly leans toward the absurd, it is still enjoyable (and it's satire after all...right?). However, this is where The Bubble goes downhill.

The truth is that Apatow leans way too far into the absurd that The Bubble becomes so ridiculous it loses all its laughs. As things on the set of Cliff Beasts 6 continue going off the rails, the actors are ultimately held hostage at their hotel and are not allowed to leave even though they get sick with influenza, one character almost dies and Mann gets her fingers shot off.

It's revealed that the production is being pushed forward by the film's production studio (with McKinnon playing a heartless exec who virtually calls in while traveling across the world), and while it seems as if Apatow is trying to get the viewer to dislike the actors for being too out of touch and too privileged, we ultimately only feel bad for them. It's certainly valid to recognize that COVID-19 affected people in dramatically different ways and those with privilege and power did not suffer the same consequences as those without it. However, The Bubble feels like a cheap way to criticize those people and instead just emphasizes the fact that the pandemic negatively impacted everyone.

After many television shows (Shameless, The Morning Show, You) clumsily incorporated the pandemic into their stories, it felt like a breath of fresh air to see a movie that was going to use a no-holds-barred approach. But, as we're well aware, the pandemic is not over, and this movie just feels like a reminder of the worst of it (and sadly, like the pandemic, you're not sure when it's going to end).

The Bubble also feels too ambitious in its ideas, resulting in some meaty subjects only getting touched upon. We barely dive into the stories of the film crew and the hotel staff, even though these are some of the funniest characters presented and it would be worthwhile to highlight how their lives were put at risk just to simply put together a movie. Meanwhile, there are fleeting moments where we see how the women who challenge the filmmakers are punished and humiliated while the men who do the same only get a slap on the wrist.

All of these subjects could be dissected in a more nuanced fashion, especially in the wake of the pandemic, but The Bubble (despite its long runtime) doesn't take the time to explore them, and instead offers a surface-level critique of Hollywood, which has been done (more successfully) in films like Tropic Thunder and Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood.

Although it may be hard to resist the big names, audacious plot and famous filmmaker behind The Bubble, this comedy ultimately falls flat as a satire of our times. Instead of poking fun at Hollywood in a bold and unexpected manner, The Bubble chooses frustration instead of humor. Save yourself the 2+ hours and opt for an older film that won't remind you of the pandemic.

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