The Wrong Missy

Still recovering from his ex-fiancee’s infidelity and a disastrous blind date with the boisterously free-spirited Missy (Lauren Lapkus; Jurassic World), timid Timothy Morris (David Spade; Grown Ups 2) has all but given up on love. That is, until he bumps into former beauty queen Melissa (Molly Sims; Yes Man) at the airport. The encounter results in him missing his flight, but gives him a few hours to get to know her. Turns out, they’re perfectly matched in every way. Before they can get down to business in a janitor’s closet, Melissa dashes off to catch her plane. She leaves Tim with her number and his heart all a-flutter.

A few weeks and flirtatious texts later, Tim’s workmate Nate (Nick Swardson; A Haunted House) suggests he bring his new flame to the company’s annual retreat in Hawaii. Of course, she says yes. Imagine poor Timmy’s surprise when the Missy from the calamitous blind date bounces onto the plane and into the seat next to him. He’s only gone and messaged THE WRONG MISSY, the plonker! Now stuck with this unmanageable, eccentric oddball on one of the most important weekends of his working life, Tim finds himself embedded in a variety of humiliating situations thanks to Missy’s behaviour.

Produced by goofball extraordinaire Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions as part of a lucrative Netflix deal, The Wrong Missy follows a typical gross-out comedy formula to a tee. It’s very much a case of knowing what you’re getting when you see the golf ball and smashed screen logo. If the likes of the two films in the company’s name are to your comedic taste, you’ll likely find much to laugh at here. The Wrong Missy is without a doubt one of the stronger offerings from the hit-and-miss contributions by the studio.

C: Happy Madison Productions / Netflix

Madison Studio movies continues to provide steady and consistent work for Sandler’s pals and here it’s David Spade’s turn to lead the pack. His Tim Morris is a very uptight guy which, from what I’ve seen of Spade’s previous films, is very different from characters he usually plays. His main role is to cringe and look embarrassed, so now he must finally know what his audience feels when watching his previous movies.

The real star though is undoubtedly Lauren Lapkus as the anarchic Missy. Completely off the chain and out of control, Lapkus revels in the role and looks to be having an absolute blast. Nick Swardson as the privacy-invading HR man Nate brings plenty of laughs too and there’s a scene-stealing cameo from long-time Sandler collaborator Rob Schneider as the shark fighting boat operator Komante.

Its sitcom-like setup is rather hokey and the central relationship between Missy and Tim is never anything less than completely impossible, but it’s of little concern. The Wrong Missy rises to the occasion in its many uncomfortable scenarios. The situations themselves have been done to death, but the commitment of the cast – Lapkus especially – make them seem fresher than the chum that they are. Its exotic Hawaiian location means there’s plenty of geographical eye candy too, so if it doesn’t make you chuckle then there’s always the volcanoes and impossibly blue waters to look at.

Ultimately, The Wrong Missy is exactly what you’d expect from a Sandler production. It’s an excuse for the mega-star to get a load of his friends (and wife) together in Hawaii under the guise of making a film and recycling some well-worn comedic situations. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. For me, on this occasion The Wrong Missy gets the right combination of laughs and heart.

The Wrong Missy is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.