Spa Weekend offers bawdy, predictable escapism for a girls’ night out

You have probably seen much of Spa Weekend before you even enter the cinema. The trailer gives away roughly 70% of the story, and anyone familiar with the “women gone wild” comedy formula can likely fill in the rest.

That is not necessarily a problem. Spa Weekend does not promise Christopher Nolan-style twists or structural surprises. Its appeal lies elsewhere: a little light-hearted, slightly spicy escapism that friends can enjoy together on a girls’ night out.

The film comes from Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the writers and directors behind the two Bad Moms films and the screenwriters of The Hangover. They have gathered Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Michelle Buteau and Anna Faris, then built the characters around each performer’s comic strengths.

The friends have known one another since middle school and now hover around 50, with work and family obligations leaving little time for friendship. Leslie Mann plays Jane, a single mother dealing with her household, an ailing father and courtroom appearances. Anna Faris has the smallest role as Sophie, a kind, apparently scattered woman whose intelligence has allowed her boss to exploit her for a decade.

Michelle Buteau’s Coco is dealing with what the film presents as feminine rage after her husband leaves her for another woman, while Isla Fisher’s Mel brings chaos wherever she goes. The others do not invite Mel to the spa weekend, but she turns up anyway, setting the predictable misadventures in motion. Spa Weekend falls somewhere between Bad Moms and Book Club: not as raw as the former, but still packed with profanity and sexual humor. It follows a familiar path, yet remains entertaining enough for viewers who want exactly that.