In a goofball reimagining of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The Night Before (2015) is mostly Christmas-filled chaos, but not without it’s laughs.
If you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into before you’ve entered the theatre, then it’s likely you’ve never heard of Seth Rogen before. Fun, but utterly ridiculous, The Night Before has no real lessons to teach, although it makes a few up in order to keep with the classic ‘moral-of-the-story’, Christmas tale.
After the loss of his parents 15 years ago, and spending every Christmas Eve since, wildly partying with his two best friends, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) embarks on a last-hurrah with Isaac (Seth Rogen), and Chris (Anthony Mackie). The three will finally get to go to their dream party –The Nutcracker Ball– but certainly not without some drug-filled adventure on the way.
Although certainly predictable in its final destination, The Night Before is quite eventful in getting there. Everything from weed-selling ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, to Run-DMC holiday karaoke exist within the world of the film. Naturally, the three besties have to get separated on their journey to The Nutcracker Ball, but we all know how this story goes: guy loses family, guy gets friends, friends ditch guy, everyone does drugs, guy and friends become friends again… or something like that.
Isaac gets separated from the group after becoming massively intoxicated by mushrooms and cocaine and switching phones with their acquaintance, Sarah (Mindy Kaling), at the karaoke bar. As Isaac tracks down his lost phone, he continually embarrasses himself beyond belief before finally making it to the big party. Seth Rogen’s over-the-top indulgence into his high-as-a-kite character, surprisingly works, and doesn’t fall short in the laugh department.
Chris, who in the last year, has become a PED-using NFL star, has managed to get his hands on some very important weed that he needs to bring to the star quarterback at The Nutcracker Ball so he can secure his place in football celeb-dom. Naturally, he loses the weed and has to separate from his friends in order to find it before the party. Unfortunately, Chris’ boring plot-line and underwritten character are little excuse for Mackie’s less-than-average portrayal. Although he manages well-enough when the trio is together, he is most obviously the weakest link, and falls apart when left to his solo devices.
Ethan, now all by himself while his friends deal with their own issues, has to work out his frustrations alone. With the most “real” work to do in the film, Gordon-Levitt has to experience everything from losing his parents, to cracking awkward jokes, to rapping Christmas songs, to running into his ex/love-of-his-life, to once again being abandoned on Christmas Eve, and finally, what he should do about all that! And as expected, Gordon-Levitt nails every scene with ease and grace and just the right amount of humor.
Overall, the film goes exactly where we know it’s heading, but brings a good amount of laughter along the way, albeit stupid-laughter. The Night Before does manage some clever puns and playful twists on the classic A Christmas Carol, as well as subtle references to tons of other holiday movies, Home Alone included… although this time it is all a bit trippier.
So, if holiday drug-humor and vomiting Jews in a church sound like a jolly-good time, then The Night Before will at least fill someones beer-boot stocking with more than just coal… Happy Christmas to all, and to all a wasted-as-f*#% good night.
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