Stop! That! Train! review: RuPaul film full of non-stop campery and fun celeb cameos

Drag queens, disaster and distasteful jokes – what more could you ask for or expect from a film from the world of RuPaul’s Drag Race?

I went into this as a fan of RuPaul and his legion of queens, having seen every season of the US run which much of the cast is from. I was expecting over-acted scenes with cheesy jokes and over-the-top physical humour, which could have been plucked from a Drag Race acting challenge. What I got wasn’t that far from that – but girl, it really worked.

The film follows out-of-work train stewardesses Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee) as they scam their way into their dream job on the luxurious Glamazonian Express. There, they bump into mean stewardesses Amber (Brooke Lynn Hytes), Alli (Marcia Marcia Marcia, credited as Marty Lauter) and Ayshleiygh (Symone) who make it clear they are not welcome. Before long, disaster strikes as a huge storm approaches, and it falls on Tess and DeeDee to safely stop the train before it crashes into a Make-A-Wish foundation trip at a Florida station.

The cast also features Mother herself, RuPaul Charles, as Judy Gagwell, the President of the United States, who has her own demons to work through. Brian Jordan Alvarez appears as co-conductor Cal, the himbo love interest of DeeDee, while SNL icon Chris Parnell plays Conductor Davenport, who finds himself incapacitated before long.

Latrice Royale, Rachel Bloom and Matt Rogers also have recurring roles, while there are cameos from Michelle Visage (obviously), Drag Race’s Angeria Paris VanMichaels and Monét X Change, Raven-Symoné, Nicole Richie, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Charo, Natasha Leggero, Drew Droege, Joel McHale, Guy Branum, Daniel Franzese, Riki Lindhome, Mayan Lopez, Missi Pyle, Jerry O’Connell, June Diane Raphael, Lisa Rinna, Jai Rodriguez, Paul Scheer, and Nicole Sullivan.

It’s a jam-packed cast, and some get a moment to shine more than others. Richie, for example, has some great moments, as does Visage – though that’s to be expected, given her closeness to RuPaul and Drag Race. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s recurring joke risks getting old – an extra time or two and it would have – but each time it still gets a chuckle.

Like Gellar’s repeated joke, there are other gags – “Now tell it to me gay” – which crop up multiple times. They’re obvious, and again risk feeling overdone, but each time add a new element, so it still feels fresh.

Fans of classic disaster movies might recognise some scenes. I’m told by my older-than-me boyfriend that some gags are more than a little inspired by Airplane!. He enjoyed them. And I, as a youthful 25-34-year-old who hadn’t seen Airplane! at the time, also enjoyed them. That’s a theme I felt throughout – you don’t necessarily have to have seen Drag Race for every reference to land, but knowing them makes it more enjoyable.

There are, of course, a number of moments directly lifted from Drag Race. We’ve got President Gagwell uttering RuPaul’s famous “don’t f*** it up!” line, “reading is fundamental” and a hat reveal to falling rose petals, à la Sasha Velour.

That isn’t to say it’s just reference after reference. The plot is solid, albeit not-all-that gripping, and the acting is fun. It’s not going to win any Oscars but, if you were hoping for that level of performance, you’re going to watch the wrong movie.

Despite uproar over her All Stars 10 win, Ginger Minj proves she’s worthy of the crown. Jujubee shows exactly why she’s a fan-favourite after all these years. RuPaul steals all her scenes. Symone and Marcia Marcia Marcia/Marty Lauter are perfect side-kicks, and Brooke Lynn Hytes is the embodiment of a Regina George-style character.

They clearly had a lot of fun making this film, and it shines through on-screen. While it feels at times like a vanity project for RuPaul and co., Stop! That! Train! stands up as a film outside of the Drag Race franchise.

“Is this a gay film?” I was asked by another journalist before the screening. “Very,” I told him. With that in mind, it might not be something to watch with your straight friends (if you have any). Instead, save it for a night in with a bottle of Prosecco or two with your girls and gays, and you’ll be in for a night of non-stop laughs and campery.

Oh, and make sure to watch the credits. They’re filled with fun bloopers – and there’s even a post-credit scene to wrap up one final plot point.

Stop! That! Train! is out in UK cinemas on 21 August.

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