Unpregnant – A Delightful Road Trip Comedy (Early Review)

For as long as there have been films and there have been cars, there have been road trip films. Their allure goes without saying, the best films appeal to our sense of adventure while offering viewers an escape (assuming audiences can become emotionally invested in the characters). At this point, it goes without saying that the subgenre doesn’t have much new to offer for the most part, intentionally or not reverting to a certain formula. To set themselves apart, recent films have attempted to put a fresh spin on the concept and/or casted marketable actors to make them more accessible despite that familiar formula. HBO Max’s latest original film, Unpregnant, does exactly that by putting a younger spin on it and casting very marketable young actors. Thankfully, those choices proved beneficial for the film, resulting in a highly-entertaining experience that would surely appeal to teen and young adult audiences (not exactly the worst demographic to target).

As a film, Unpregnant may not necessarily bring anything new to the table as it follows a pair of estranged friends named Veronica (Richardson) and Bailey (Ferreira) for whom the latter agrees to drive the other across the country after an unfortunate and very unplanned pregnancy threatened to derail the promising life she had set out for herself. Meanwhile, the passing years have not been kind to their relationship as it saw what were close friends drift apart but it wasn’t necessarily clear why at least at the start (though it would become clearer over the course of the film). Simply put, Veronica and Bailey’s past relationship was common knowledge though now they found themselves in different circles where some had reputations to upkeep. Ultimately, fate inevitably got them back together. Suffice it to say that Veronica and Bailey were polar opposites, both personally and their upbringings, however, they certainly did not start off that way. Their contrasting personalities were definitely fun to watch as the analytical, timid, and reserved Veronica struggled at times to maintain control of the situation against the free-spirited and no filter of Bailey.

The majority of Unpregnant saw Veronica and Bailey go at it while taking part in plenty of hijinks (though one did so reluctantly) and encountering plenty of bumps and drama along the way. Many of these situations were hilarious (with one standing out above the others) and surprisingly heartfelt as in the end, it was their time together that reminded the other about what they had, who they were, and why they grew so far apart. Their friendship was what the film was truly about and was at its best whenever it focused on that aspect of the story. While the abortion subplot was more of a means to an end than anything, the film at the end of the day was a comedy (otherwise it’d be kind of a downer) but it still found a decent tonal balance despite the lack of any depth whatsoever regarding that issue. Nevertheless, the film’s predictable end did not make it any less impactful or unearned.

The best part of Unpregnant and the only reason it worked as well as it did were the great performances of Richardson and Ferreira and their excellent chemistry as Veronica and Bailey respectively, single-handedly carrying the film. Their likability and relatability made it easy to connect with them as characters while their chemistry and energy created a believable and fun dynamic on screen despite unoriginal characters. Richardson had a solid arc that showed Veronica’s neurotic personality somewhat temper over time while Ferreira’s Bailey provided boatloads of energy as the perfect counterbalance. Despite what it may seem, Bailey was afforded some depth as well thus allowing Ferreira to show some nuance and to help elevate the character to more than a token sidekick (but her energy played a major role in that). Nevertheless, Richardson and Ferreira were an absolute blast to watch and make the film well worth watching though many are sure to flock to it based on their names regardless.

At the end of the day, Unpregnant may not revolutionize the road trip film by any means (nor does it have to be) but in its own right, is a delightful comedy and a worthy addition in WarnerMax’s growing stable of original films.

still courtesy of WarnerMax

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.