Spa Weekend Review: A Mid-Tier R-Rated Comedy That's Good For A Few Laughs

Spa Weekend, the new R-rated comedy from the filmmakers behind The Hangover and Bad Moms, is decently entertaining, but mostly unmemorable. Published Aug 20, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT Molly Freeman is ScreenRant's Senior Editor - Superheroes, and one of ScreenRant's Rotten Tomatoes-approved critics. She oversees the content operation of ScreenRant's Superheroes vertical, covering Marvel and DC movie and television releases while managing a dedicated team of passionate writers and editors. Molly has been at ScreenRant since May 2014, working across many teams—including news, features, interviews, social media and reviews—before launching the Superheroes vertical in 2023. Previously, Molly served as a TV writer at Bustle, and a writer, editor and podcast host at BreakThru Radio. She's had entertainment and pop culture essays published on HelloGiggles and Femsplain, and her expertise has led to appearances on podcasts like Total Geekall. There was a time when mid-budget, 90-minute, R-rated buddy comedies could do gangbusters at the box office, and while the peak of their popularity has passed, Spa Weekend is reminiscent of past hits like Girls Trip, Bridesmaids and Bad Moms. That is, in large part, because it was written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the minds behind both The Hangover and Bad Moms. However, Spa Weekend is so similar to other R-rated female-led comedies that it feels more derivative of those that came before rather than like the next big hit. In fact, it feels interchangeable with any of the other less memorable R-rated comedies about a group of girlfriends who have a trip or event that goes horribly awry, like 2012's Bachelorette and 2017's Rough Night. That's not to say Spa Weekend isn't enjoyable. It's a decently fun, quickly paced comedy, with enough jokes to get the perfunctory laughs out of its audience members. Though it's not nearly as raunchy as some R-rated comedies of the past, and leans a bit too much on second-hand embarrassment for my taste, some of the sillier moments are genuinely delightful. As a mid-budget, 90-minute, R-rated buddy comedy, Spa Weekend is decidedly middle of the pack. While the cast does their best to elevate the material, Lucas and Moore's script leaves a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to the emotional crux of the film. So Spa Weekend isn't destined to be the next Bridesmaids or Bad Moms, but it's a good enough time at the movies. The Storyline Of Spa Weekend's Central Friend Group Never Quite Clicks The premise behind Spa Weekend is repeated a few times throughout the film — the idea is that in a group of female friends, there's always one the rest don't really like. In the case of Jane (Leslie Mann), Coco (Michelle Buteau), Sophie (Anna Faris) and Mel (Isla Fisher), that friend is Mel. The movie then proceeds to explore what happens when Mel shows up for a spa trip planned by the other women in the group. Already, the concept behind Spa Weekend feels mean-spirited at best, misogynistic at worst, and the movie never quite develops the characters to a point that would help the premise hold up to scrutiny. Sure, there's a moment when Jane, Sophie and Coco come to appreciate what Mel brings to their group's dynamic, but it's not well-earned and makes very little sense if you think about it for more than 10 seconds. Comedy is meant to walk the line between realism and exaggeration, finding both humor and heart somewhere in the middle, but Spa Weekend is too scattered, or too focused on the women's individual storylines, to give the friendship at the center of the film its due. It's a shame, because Spa Weekend's moments of screwball comedy are great, and are brought to life exceptionally well by the cast. Spa Weekend's Cast And Comedy Are Fun But Unmemorable The undeniable strength of Spa Weekend is the quartet of talented comedic actresses at its center. Mann plays the same awkward and slightly neurotic, but lovable, character she does in many of her other films; she's nailed the archetype so it makes sense she doesn't stray from it here. Spa Weekend gives her a sweet story about taking time to put herself first, which she learns while having a fling with one of the resort's yoga instructors, Kai (Adam Demos). Fisher is the definitive standout as Mel, whose hijinks lead the friends from stealing a golf cart to unleashing a band of goats on the resort. The actress brings a great deal of heart to the raunchy character, and manages to mostly balance the film's comedy with the more genuine moments. Still, some of her funniest moments are tragically relegated to the bloopers that play during the credits. There's some fun to be had with Spa Weekend, but it's not necessarily the kind of movie that demands to be seen in a theater. Buteau and Faris round out the group's dynamic as the loudmouthed, angry friend and the too-nice, doormat friend, respectively. Spa Weekend attempts to dig deeper into Coco's anger to prevent her from being an angry Black woman stereotype, but largely hand-waves it away with a line from her ex-husband Roger (Dominic Ona-Ariki) about her parents being absent when she was a child. Sophie, similarly, gets a thinly developed storyline about growing a backbone with her overbearing boss. Ultimately, there's some fun to be had with Spa Weekend, but it's not necessarily the kind of movie that demands to be seen in a theater. Sure, it could prove to be a fun night out for a group of friends, especially moms in their 40s and 50s, but everyone else can perhaps wait until it's available at home. Unfortunately, Spa Weekend is not the next Bridesmaids or The Hangover, so it's perfectly fine to wait and catch it on streaming. Spa Weekend is now playing in theaters. Release Date August 21, 2026 Runtime 97 minutes Director Scott Moore, Jon Lucas Writers Jon Lucas, Scott Moore Producers Suzanne Todd, Teddy Schwarzman Cast