Comedy movies for adults have become a rare item lately. Smart, actually funny comedies are even more precious. That’s what makes Deena Kashper’s apocalyptic comedy Nuked such a gem. What starts out looking familiarly raunchy mature humor, reveals itself to be quite a lot more than that. If you’re interested in a film that’s got sex, relationship drama, stoner hijinks, friendship, betrayal, and possible nuclear annihilation, Nuked is what you’re looking for.
The best thing about Nuked being so many things all at once? It’s got exactly the right cast of hilarious actors who are nimble at navigating the shifting tones. Right at the top, you’ve got the always-great Anna Camp as Gill, with Justin Bartha as her husband, Jack. They’ve been together for twenty years, literally half of their lives. When we meet them, they’re aggressively trying to get pregnant and start a family, and trying new things (Gill’s dirty talk, I hope, was ad-libbed!) to keep the sex fresh. After so long, they’ve fallen into a groove. Jack’s getting a bit bored, but Gill is too busy with her newfound podcasting success to notice.
Seems like another comfortable, quirky comedy about adulting, right? Well, no. Out of nowhere, Nuked becomes something else entirely. It’s Jack and Gill’s 40th birthday, and they’ve invited all of their closest college friends together for a weekend bash full of dancing, drinking, and a cannabis-fueled dining experience. Everyone’s phones are collected for a fully unplugged event. Of course, with so many people together who have known one another for so long, personalities start to clash, insecurities bubble to the surface, and other old feelings stir. Then they all find out that a nuclear missile is headed straight for them in Los Angeles, and it’s one Hell of an awkward time to be high.
Nuked begins to resemble something closer to The Big Chill, but I actually liken it to two other, similarly-framed movies: 2001’s The Anniversary Party (Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming do drugs!) and 2011’s A Good Old Fashioned Orgy. All three films feature deft comedic ensembles, vibing around taboo subject matter. In this case, it’s a nuclear holocaust that has brought these old friends to an existential crisis. Playing the old buddies are George Young as Sam, husband to Lucy Punch’s Penelope, a new mother who is seemingly disinterested in sex, much to his disappontment. There’s Maulik Pancholy and Stephen Guarino as Ishaan and Damian, a gay couple whose bond has remained strong after one’s recovery from cancer. Then there’s Ignacio Serricchio as Logan, a nostalgic former rockstar, and Tawny Newsome as Mo, the political consultant who shares a complicated past with him.
Each pairing has its own little story to tell, which helps Nuked to feel like multiple movies in one. Kashper weaves all of these friends in and out of one another’s stories, so that marital discord, secret loves, past hook-ups, and betrayal envelop the entire group. With the threat of imminent death hanging over them, there comes a reflection on their lives and lingering regrets that feels especially honest in today’s chaotic world. Even some of the sillier revelations, such as Ishaan and Damian’s open relationship, or Gill’s smartphone dependency, are played with sincerity and pay off emotionally.
There’s a lot that Nuked has to juggle in its brisk 86-minute runtime, and some developments are given less depth than others. While there are plenty of laughs, Kashper keeps the jokes at a lower key to increase the personal stakes for each character, but sometimes you just want the film to go nuts and be as absurd as possible, rather than playing it a bit safe. Fans of comedian Natasha Leggero, who plays the chef serving the edible delights, will wish she had a bit more to do, but she’s gone for long stretches of the film and isn’t a major part of the plot.
Camp has always had a manic energy behind her performances, and it’s good to see her bringing that to a lead role where a bit more heft is needed. Bartha, always such an underrated actor, works best in these ensemble scenarios (think The Hangover) because he’s so good at reacting to what others give him. He and Camp have such fun chemistry, it’s amazing this is their first movie together. Hopefully, Nuked is only the first of many times, and we see them reunited with the entire cast again soon.
Nuked opens in theaters on July 11th from Quiver Distribution.
