Strays – A Raunchy Comedy That Delivers For Better or Worse

Strays is an R-rated raunchy dog comedy directed by Josh Greenbaum in his follow-up to the highly underrated and campy Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar. Strays follows Reggie (Ferrell), a sweet but gullible Border Terrier after he’s abandoned on the streets by his ruthless and neglectful owner Doug (Will Forte) who never wanted him to begin with. After meeting and teaming up with a streetwise Boston Terrier named Bug (Foxx), they set off together along with Maggie (Fisher) and Hunter (Park) to get revenge on Doug in the only way they know how. For those who enjoyed tits overplayed trailer, there’s a good chance they will enjoy the final film, but for any who weren’t, they are better served staying far away because for better or worse, this is exactly what it promised, nothing more or less. The overall film may be a bit of a mixed bag but audiences simply wanting to laugh, it’s a pretty decent way to spend 93-minutes.

Strays gets off to a rough start with an opening act that is pretty tough to sit through, essentially acting like a stretched-out version of the main trailer. While it is not a huge dip in quality compared to the rest of the film, unfortunately, almost every single joke from that overplayed trailer is featured in that first act which only lessens their impact of the jokes because the element of surprise is gone. As a whole, it isn’t the most well made or well put together film in the slightest either and features the bare minimum of a plot, if it could even be considered one. The film merely feels like a series of scenes are stitched together with very loose connective tissue with the result being something that comes across as it was made up as they went along. Though to be fair, it isn’t a complete negative.

But even though Strays has its fair share of flaws, one wanting or expecting to laugh will be treated to an enjoyable and fun enough experience. The humor is extremely hit or miss throughout with some scenes and jokes falling flat on their face, but when they do land, they land hard, and deliver some of the biggest laughs one with have in a theater all year. Meanwhile, it has certain moments that audiences will have a tough time forgetting, especially a perfect “Wrecking Ball” needle drop. In the end, it is one of the rare comedies that gets better as it goes along.

Even though it was billed as a filthy R-rated comedy, the film still takes the raunchiness and gross out humor way further than expected which was honestly kind of relieving to see in a mainstream comedy in 2023. While it doesn’t all work and arguably goes to far at times, it’s nice to see that these filmmakers weren’t afraid to upset or offend viewers and kind of went for it. Ferrell and Foxx both turn in fun voice work as Reggie and Bugs, and Foxx, in particular, has some absolutely hysterical line readings and moments. The entire voice cast fits their characters well and its always fun trying to connect characters with the voices they are hearing. It’s also worth noting that underneath all the filth and raunch, there is a beating heart and a nice message, even if it’s nothing special or anything audiences haven’t seen before.

It’s tough to fully recommend Strays or call it a genuinely good film due to how many jokes fall flat and how rough it is around the edges, but for those who enjoyed its trailer or for those who found its premise appealing, they will likely have a good time, especially with buddies or a big group. It may not be the smartest film in the world or a new comedy classic that will be quoted or remembered for years to come by any means, but it’s an enjoyable enough time at the movies that moves along at a nice pace and doesn’t try to be anything more than it is. If you own a dog or are a dog lover in general, then this will likely hit even harder for you.

still courtesy of Universal Pictures

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Connor Carey

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