Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)

February 14, 2021 9:51 AM

Lifelong friends Barb and Star embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they decide to leave their small Midwestern town for the first time - ever.

Vox: "Watching Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar was the closest I’ve come in a long time to feeling like I was on vacation. I chuckled, mostly, and giggled a little, and got to check out of life for a while without the feeling of leaving my brain at the door. A tiny break and a bit of an adventure and a bunch of clever jokes that border on the bizarre: That, to me, is a recipe for a good time."

AV Club: "a silly, delightful trip."

posted by dnash (13 comments total)

Living alone, I have been avoiding these first run online rentals that want $20, because that's more than a theater ticket for one would cost. (Though I suppose if you add in the popcorn and drink I certainly would've gotten along with it...) Anyway, this just felt like what my brain wanted to see last night so I went for it, and am VERY glad I did. Some of the heartiest laughs I've had in ages.

(I will also add that, if you partake of the devil's lettuce, it goes really well with this movie, IMO...)
posted by dnash at 9:59 AM on February 14, 2021 [5 favorites]

It's seriously stupid. I mean seriously, seriously, aggressively stupid… I loved it. Giggled the whole way through.
posted by Omon Ra at 4:25 PM on February 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

After days of being cooped up in subzero weather, we were grumping along this evening and on a whim the gent hit play. We were utterly enchanted by this bonkers Lisa Frank carnival ride. It was a breath of fresh air. 🌸🐬
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 9:15 PM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Goofy and silly. The atmosphere is more traditionally younger dudes, usually involving casual cannabis use, but the context change is appreciated and it works. It's not re-watchable good, but it was a nice diversion.

Morgan Freeman has a delightful bit part.
posted by porpoise at 9:59 PM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

It was a perfectly serviceable adaptation of "The Brothers Grimsby".
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 5:58 AM on February 16, 2021

This was cute and funny! Jamie Dornan is great at comedy!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:10 AM on February 21, 2021 [2 favorites]

The “in theater” period was too spendy for me to gamble on a movie I might dislike, but now that you can rent it, I gave Barb and Star a shot. I’m glad I did! Sure, sometimes I said “that’s just plain weird” but mostly it was a fun quirky movie.
posted by Monochrome at 6:53 PM on May 26, 2021

It was such a relief that the movie wasn’t really prejudiced against the characters from Nebraska. I expected a source of cheap laughs at the expense of sheltered midwesterners, but Barb and Star mostly avoided that.
posted by Monochrome at 6:57 PM on May 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oh my god. It's been so, so long since I've found a comedy that I can just recommend, without reservation, and refuse to tell people anything about it going in. It is just so absolutely it's own thing, and succeeds so thoroughly at being exactly what it wants to be, that it becomes a thing of magic. I loved this.
posted by Navelgazer at 6:13 AM on July 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

I love this goofy, shaggy movie that doesn't insult middle aged women. I'm so glad this was made. I'm in my early 50s myself and agree with my friends who noted that "culottes" and those hairstyles are more representative of our moms, but everything else was catnip.
posted by travertina at 11:52 AM on August 6, 2021 [4 favorites]

That was ... not what I expected it to be, but I really liked it. Now I very much want to go on a beach vacation with my girlfriends. Someday!
posted by Sparky Buttons at 10:06 PM on August 20, 2021 [1 favorite]

This movie was a treat and made me laugh.
posted by enfa at 7:50 PM on August 23, 2021

I watched this not knowing hardly anything other than Kirsten Wigg was involved and one reviewer had called it like "Romy and Michell's High School Reunion but featuring Middle Aged women" .. and that idea sufficiently intrigued me.

It was delightful.

It also finally convinced me that the writers/producers of a thing ALSO starring in that thing needn't be a vain train-wreck!
posted by Faintdreams at 5:09 AM on May 1, 2022