Buddy Games

Buddy Games is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Josh Duhamel in his solo directorial debut and written by Duhamel, Bob Schwartz, and Jude Weng.[4] Produced by Duhamel, Michael J. Luisi, and Weng, the film centers on a group of six friends that reunite after a five-year hiatus to engage in a challenging set of dares and games and help lift one of their own out of depression and also have a chance of winning $150,000 while doing so. The cast includes Duhamel, Dax Shepard, Olivia Munn, Kevin Dillon, and Neal McDonough.

Buddy Games
Directed byJosh Duhamel
Produced by
Written by
  • Josh Duhamel
  • Bob Schwartz
  • Jude Weng
Starring
Music byAlex Wurman
CinematographyLuke Bryant
Edited byKenneth Marsten
Production
company
Distributed bySaban Films
Release date
  • February 10, 2019 (2019-02-10) (Mammoth Film Festival)[1]
  • November 24, 2020 (2020-11-24) (United States)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$405,904[2][3]

The project was originally announced in June 2017 as a deal with WWE Studios, with the cast joining shortly thereafter and filming commencing two months later in Vancouver. The film held its world premiere at the 2019 Mammoth Film Festival and Saban Films acquired distribution rights for the United States in July 2020.[5] The film has since received mostly negative reviews from critics, with most criticism directed at the plot, direction, and characters.

Plot

After a falling out, six lifelong friends reunite to play the buddy games -- an insane competition filled with absurd physical and mental challenges. Now, all bets are off, as the determined pals fight, claw and party for the chance to win $150,000. In the process, they'll heal old wounds, right past wrongs and figure out the true meaning of friendship...or die trying.

Cast

Production

The film was directed by Josh Duhamel in his directorial debut and co-written by Duhamel, Bob Schwartz, and Jude Weng. Filming began in August 2017 in Vancouver.[4]

The casting of Sheamus and Nick Swardson was announced in June 2017,[4] with Kevin Dillon, Dax Shepard, Olivia Munn, James Roday Rodriguez, and Dan Bakkedahl joining two months later.[6]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has an approval rating of 17% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 4.00/10.[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 22 out of 100, based on reviews from six critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews."[8]

Cath Clarke of The Guardian gave the film a one out of five stars and described Buddy Games as "a buddy gross-out movie that’s unfunny and offensive in equal measures."[9] Richard Roeper from the The Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a one out of four stars and wrote that the film's "middle-aged, self-absorbed clowns are so repugnant and uninteresting and small-minded and awful, they make the gang from Tag look like the Knights of the Round Table," adding that it is a "legit contender for worst movie of 2020."[10] Johnny Oleksinski for the New York Post gave the film a zero out of four stars and strongly criticized its lack of character development and pervasive toxic masculinity, concluding that "Buddy Games leaves you feeling dead inside."[11]

The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck criticized the film as a "paean to arrested male adolescence" and faulted the screenwriters for sacrificing actual comedy for excessive gags, though he added that Dan Bakkedahl delivered an "undeniably vanity-free, no-holds-barred performance".[12] Mick LaSalle from The San Francisco Chronicle gave a more positive outlook of the film and wrote that some of the film's greatest excitement came at its "nasty best" when it was "mere spectacle" and also paired with its "wicked sense of comedy," but acknowledged that the humor was generally lacking. He also praised Olivia Munn and lamented that her performance, described as the "best thing," was so sporadic in the film.[13]

References
  1. "2nd Annual Mammoth Film Festival Sets Josh Duhamel's Directorial Debut THE BUDDY GAMES". Broadway World. February 4, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  2. "The Buddy Games (2020)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  3. "The Buddy Games (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  4. Fleming Jr., Mike (June 26, 2017). "Josh Duhamel To Make Directing Debut On WWE Studios' 'The Buddy Games'". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020.
  5. N'Duka, Amanda (July 23, 2020). "Josh Duhamel Directorial Debut 'Buddy Games' Lands At Saban Films". Deadline. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  6. Fleming Jr., Mike (August 7, 2017). "Kevin Dillon, Dax Shepard, Olivia Munn, James Roday & Dan Bakkedahl Join Josh Duhamel Directing Debut 'Buddy Games'". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020.
  7. "Buddy Games (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020.
  8. "Buddy Games Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020.
  9. Clarke, Cath (November 26, 2020). "Buddy Games review – a chest-thumping, ball-breaking macho mashup". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020.
  10. Roeper, Richard (November 23, 2020). "'Buddy Games': When obnoxious bros compete, we're all the losers". The Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020.
  11. Oleksinski, Johnny (November 24, 2020). "'Buddy Games' review: Only complete idiots will like this 'comedy'". New York Post. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020.
  12. Scheck, Frank (November 25, 2020). "'Buddy Games': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020.
  13. LaSalle, Mick (November 23, 2020). "Review: Olivia Munn is the best thing about 'Buddy Games,' and she's barely in it". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020.
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