The Bubble – A Dated Pandemic Comedy (Early Review)

While the world begins to move forward following the COVID-19 pandemic, it hasn’t stopped filmmakers from making films centered around it. Sometimes those circumstances could be a detriment but in other situations, films and filmmakers rise above. Maybe the pandemic is not arguably ripe for comedy though nevertheless, cue the aptly-titled, The Bubble. Filmed almost a year ago and with its release upon us, it already feels dated in its satire of the ridiculousness that was the early days of the pandemic and the film industry that attempted to persevere through it. However, the problem with the film was simply that it wasn’t funny at all and a lot longer than it had any right to be, clocking in over the 2 hour mark. The film is merely a pointless exercise that meanders in unsubtle and lazy commentary that becomes obnoxious and irritating in its repetition and lack of direction. Despite its great cast and a few surprising cameos, the sheer lack of interest clearly shows as it seems like the cast for the most part were there out of boredom more than anything else which showed in their performances.

The Bubble follows the troubled production of the latest installment in a ridiculous fictional Cliff Beasts sci-fi action franchise in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the actors to those working behind the scenes to those working for the studio, everyone was the absolute worst which surely was the point. It may appear that the production with the best intentions by adopting all the standard precautions but all the latter wanted to do was to get a film done by any means necessary as the situation devolved over the course of the film with the reality of the pandemic and the general personalities of everyone involved getting in the way. Throwing in some already dated humor and references as the misery of the characters was played for comedic purposes, the story became less about completing Cliff Beasts 6 and more about survival. These moments were where the film truly dragged and beat viewers over the head with the same unfunny material and went absolutely nowhere with no point whatsoever.

While the characters had the potential to be the film’s saving grace, guiding viewers through its issues, they were too insufferable to ever connect to on any kind of emotional level. Whether it’s them in a normal setting or as actors in Cliff Beasts, they were essentially caricatures of Hollywood archetypes. Though they were far more interesting outside of the movie within the movie setting, that part of the film didn’t matter in the grand scheme, it was still incredibly thin besides the repetitive and unfunny humor. Despite its problems, the mere act of putting a film like The Bubble together in such little time in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is still an accomplishment worth applauding. Gathering the likes of Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, David Duchovny, Leslie Mann, Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Armisen, and Maria Bakalova among others for any production and releasing it within a year is impressive. Meanwhile, the film also got some decent special effects done within that same short period, also a first for writer/director Judd Apatow. 

At the end of the day, The Bubble is destined to be a divisive film. While Apatow fans are likely to flock to this one, it somehow feels different from the rest of his filmography. Those looking for some laughs may find some here but regardless, the subject matter will inevitably be a point of contention since many of us just want to move on from the pandemic and there are countless better options in terms of comedies on or outside of Netflix.

still courtesy of Netflix

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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.