Stephanie Hsu’s R-rated new movie has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the trailer proves why

Mar 21 2023
Written by Charlie Duncan

Stephanie Hsu’s new movie Joy Ride has landed to a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes (Lionsgate Movies/ YouTube)

Everything Everywhere All At Once star and Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu’s new movie Joy Ride has premiered to rave reviews.

Directed by Crazy Rich Asians writer Adele Lim, the highly-anticipated comedy centres on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure to find the birth mother of Audrey (Ashley Park).

Alongside Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess, Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star, and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin, Audrey embarks on a journey of friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

The hilarious new trailer sees the four friends set out on a quest to locate Audrey’s birth mother, accidentally take cocaine, and pretend to to be a K-Pop band in order to get through airport security.

At the time of reporting, Joy Ride is enjoying a 100% fresh rating on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Beware: the trailer below is Red Band…

The film marks Hsu’s first feature-length role since being nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2023 Academy Awards.

Produced by Seth Rogen’s production company, Point Grey Pictures, Joy Ride is sure to feature a generous sprinkling of raunchy humour – see the joke about smuggling cocaine up one’s a** for proof of that.

The film was written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong & Teresa Hsiao, with screenwriter Lim co-producing alongside others.

JOY RIDE fucking slaps! Raunchy, nasty, sex-positive, and at its core, sweet and gratifying. And it’s so fucking weird to see Asian people doing all of this. Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu are DYNAMITE together! I want 10 more movies with them #SXSW pic.twitter.com/7OGeyXAM54
— kevin l. lee (@Klee_FilmReview) March 18, 2023

JOYRIDE is a laugh out loud, raunchy, joke a minute comedy with an insanely talented ensemble! I can’t wait for everyone to see it, it’s going to be a blast for everyone who sees it later this summer! Another perfect festival experience at #SXSW2023! #JoyRide @Lionsgate pic.twitter.com/WGY1xoWV5C
— Ryan McQuade @ #SXSW2023 (@ryanmcquade77) March 18, 2023

I just watched JOY RIDE. Congratulations @adeleBlim and Co! This movie is A FUCKING BLAST. Everybody go see it! Well, not everybody. Don’t take the kids and for the love of god don’t take your parents. #joyride pic.twitter.com/5WT0KMg9c7
— Phil Yu (@angryasianman) March 18, 2023

“This journey began with me, Cherry, and Teresa wanting to tell a story with characters who look like us, about women who are messy and thirsty, but have so much heart,” Lim said in a statement.

“Point Grey and Lionsgate have been incredible allies and partners from day one, and I am thrilled to be making my directing debut with them on a story that’s so special to me.”

Joy Ride is set to be released in UK cinemas on 4 August and 7 July in the US.