Netflix has recently released a new film called Wine Country which focuses on a group of old best friends who get together in Napa Valley in order to celebrate Rebecca, played by Rachel Dratch, and her 50th birthday. The girls haven’t seen each other in a while and they are all excited to get together, reminisce about the good days, and enjoy some wine. As the weekend goes on, little by little, it’s revealed that everybody is hiding something from each other and the girls realize they aren’t as close as they thought they were. This leads them to abandon their minute-by-minute itinerary and have a weekend much crazier than they ever expected.

Going into this movie I didn’t have high expectations, but I was expecting to sit back, relax, and laugh. Especially considering that the cast was all “Saturday Night Live” alums: Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Ana Gasteyer, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Paula Pell, and Emily Spivey. With a cast of such talented, and acclaimed comedians I was deeply disappointed with the end result. I did not laugh once throughout the movie, instead, I cringed and rolled my eyes at the predictable, unfunny, and just plain awkward jokes that were spread throughout the film.

It wasn’t just the jokes that didn’t land, it was the plot and acting too. There are plenty of films that I don’t find funny but I still enjoy watching simply because the acting and the plot are entertaining and engaging. Sadly, Wine Country is not one of those movies. The plot is all over the place, it’s awkward, it’s trying too hard to be the new Bridesmaids, and unfortunately, it fails miserably. The acting of these actresses doesn’t help either. You would think that after years and years of working on-air and starring in multiple movies, these actresses wouldn’t be stiff and awkward in front of a camera anymore; but in this film they are. It’s not even just one of them, it’s all of them. I felt as if I was watching a grade school play and it was everybody’s first time acting ever, especially Amy Poehler. I mean I’ve never considered her an amazing actress before, but she was definitely good. In this film, however, she felt stiff and as if she was over-playing her role.

I did find some positives though. I enjoyed that the film had a main all-woman cast, and not only that but the film was focused on women older than the age of 35. We know how notorious Hollywood is at age-shaming, especially when it comes to women. It’s nice to see women in front of the camera instead of behind it for a change. I also enjoyed that the film tried to focus on topics that affect many women. Although the movie tried to handle too many problems at once, I did appreciate that is acknowledged topics such as the effect age has on our bodies, losing a job, feeling lost at an older age, and the fear of the future.

I would rate this movie a 2 out of 10 due to the poor acting quality and plot. I wouldn’t recommend this film for three simple reasons: it drags, it’s unfunny, and there are certainly better comedies out there. If you are in the mood for a comedy, I recommend Bridesmaids, The Hangover, Superbad, Borat, or StepBrothers.