Starts with a bang; ends with a whimper
The Trip is a fun little horror/comedy that outstays its welcome long before the predictable ending. Like riding the same rollercoaster multiple times, the joy and exhilaration soon turns to uncomfortable impatience as you wait for the ride to end. That pretty much sums up The Trip, which comfortably tiptoes across a tightrope of ideas before buckling before the end of its bloated 110 minute run-time. The story here is pretty good in truth, and the switch-and-bait opener paves way for a number of deus-ex-machina segments that stack up across the opening 45 minutes. In its simplest form, The Trip is a tale of a dysfunctional and disgruntled couple that both have plans to kill the other, but as fate would have it things soon turn from crazy to outrageous. Unbeknownst to the other of course, Lisa and Lars both pack up their gear and head to a remote mountain cabin for a relaxing weekend. Only, Lars comes armed with a hammer, saw, rope and a whole slew of other goodies that wouldn’t be amiss from Dexter’s trunk. However, Lisa comes armed with a taser – and her wits. There’s a lick of Mr and Mrs Smith echoed through the opening bouts of the film, which eventually paves way for a tonal shift at the midway point, as Lisa and Lars find themselves turning from predators to prey. It’s very obvious where the film is going after this and given the unpredictable nature of the first half, it’s disappointing that The Trip takes such a lackadaisical turn. The comedy is pretty good in truth but soon turns into crude slapstick that loses its appeal very quickly. It’s akin to someone telling you a really funny joke… and then going on to elaborate and retell the joke again to get bigger laughs – it just doesn’t work. The Trip isn’t a bad film though, and it’s definitely worth a Friday night watch as the winter draws in. It doesn’t quite have the same crude appeal as fellow Netflix horror/comedy flick All My Friends Are Dead but it’s just about imaginative enough early on to make up for its later shortcomings. Ultimately, The Trip starts with a bang but ends with a whimper, ending somewhere in those murky waters of mediocrity. It’s a fun watch for sure but unlikely to be remembered for very long after the credits roll.
