Spa Weekend (2026) Review!!

Synopsis – Three friends go on a spa weekend that descends into chaos when their trainwreck friend joins, leading to hilarious consequences.

My Take – While the heyday of mid-budget, R‑rated buddy comedies has faded, the genre still shows flashes of box office potential. At least that is the gamble screenwriters-directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, best known for The Hangover (2009) and the Bad Moms films, are hoping to take with their latest outing. Mining their own back catalogue, they follow a group of middle‑aged women who bring party energy to a supposedly tranquil retreat, aiming for echoes of Bridesmaids (2011), Bad Moms (2016), and Girls Trip (2017).

However, the problem is that the film feels less like a fresh entry and more like a derivative remix. It could be swapped with any number of forgettable R‑rated girlfriend‑trip comedies without anyone noticing. Worse, it’s neither particularly funny nor daringly raunchy, leaning instead on awkward, second‑hand embarrassment. Leaving us with something decidedly very middle of the pack.

Sure, the pacing is brisk and a few perfunctory laughs may slip through, but Lucas and Moore‘s script leaves a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to the emotional crux of the film. Though it could prove to be a fun night out for a group of friends, especially moms in their 40s and 50s, but for everyone else, waiting until it streams at home is the wiser choice.

The story follows a trio of middle‑aged friends, each weighed down by her own troubles. Jane (Leslie Mann), a high‑powered lawyer and single mother, barely has time to think about romance. Coco (Michelle Buteau) is still reeling from her ex‑husband Roger (Dominic Ona‑Ariki), who left her for another woman, one much older.

Sophie (Anna Faris) lives under the thumb of a tyrannical boss who throws tantrums even when his lunch order isn’t met. To break free, the three plan a serene weekend at a Palm Springs spa to celebrate Jane’s birthday. Determined to keep things calm, they deliberately leave out Mel (Isla Fisher), the reckless childhood friend who always stirs chaos.

But guilt gets the better of Sophie, and Mel is invited at the last minute. Predictably, Mel detonates the getaway. She drags Coco’s ex into the mix, gets Sophie fired, and somehow procures a “Scarface amount of cocaine.” She mocks every spa ritual—guided meditation, goat yoga, even the guru Shanti (Erika Heynatz)—to the mortification of her friends and the fury of the resort staff.

Grown-ups behaving badly is tried and tested territory for directors Lucas and Moore, and the self-care business is ripe for a ribbing, with its uneasy mix of spirituality and snobbery, while there’s something mildly exhilarating about these women running amok amidst the carefully cultivated and exorbitantly priced serenity.

However, it feels like a missed opportunity, with little in the way of sharp satire, and the film wants to have its cake and eat it by simultaneously indulging in obscene amounts of relaxation/wealth porn, as the women swoon over their exclusive surroundings. The film feels like it is built around the same fearsome foursome ethos that sends them on journeys, that have them reevaluating relationships and life goals. Romantic, criminal and naughty hijinks ensue and bonds are tested — and ultimately reinforced.

The potentially funny idea of the one woman in the friend group whom no one really likes might have been the grit in the oyster that produced the comedy pearl, but, of course, it has to turn out that they really do like Mel – and in a much slushier, more sentimental way than the guys in The Hangover came round to liking Zach Galifianakis’s character. There’s something bland in this film’s approach. The film never quite develops the characters to a point that would help the premise hold up to scrutiny. Yes, there’s a moment when Jane, Sophie and Coco come to appreciate what Mel brings to their group’s dynamic, but it’s not well-earned and makes very little sense if you think about it for more than 10 seconds.

There are a handful of guilty laughs, while comic set pieces involving strippers, fist-fights and the theft of a golf cart keep things ticking along, although they pale in comparison to equivalent moments in the likes of Bridesmaids and Girls’ Trip. Worse than tired gags, we don’t get a sense of who these women really are in relationship to themselves or other women.

We only know them through the prism of men: Jane lusts after Yoga Dude, Coco rages at Roger, Sophie is bullied by her boss. We know nothing about them outside of their superficial signifiers. The film is too scattered, or too focused on the women’s individual storylines, to give the friendship at the center of the film its due. Sadly, some of her funniest moments are tragically relegated to the bloopers that play during the credits.

Without a solid script, the cast is left scaling a steep hill. Leslie Mann, reliably charismatic, fares best—her expressiveness and comic timing wring laughs from thin material. Michelle Buteau brings credibility to her role, though she’s underserved. Isla Fisher, saddled with a crass and unfunny character, struggles to find footing, while Anna Faris, usually a deft comic presence, remains frustratingly one‑note. Adam Demos and Dominic Ona‑Ariki are serviceable, but Erika Heynatz squanders the spa‑guru role, which might have been a comic highlight in a better written role. On the whole, ‘Spa Weekend‘ is a below average, cliché‑stuffed comedy that squanders its cast and premise.