Sour Party

Female comedians are a rare breed. Female comedy duos even more so. They seem to pop up on television every few decades (Lucy and Ethel, Laverne & Shirley, Edina and Patsy), like some sort of pop culture menstrual cycle—made only more interesting by their exotic infrequency. But the internet opened up a new audience where “funny” wasn’t necessarily defined by sexist executives. Broad City jumped from a web series to a full-fledged Comedy Central sitcom, and Netflix seems to be an equal-opportunity showcase when it comes to stand-up specials.

Which is a long-winded way of introducing Sour Party (2023), the first feature from The Drextons, a married writer-director power couple who reimagine the bromance/slob comedy from a distinctly feminine perspective.

Roommates James (Amanda Drexton) and Gwen (Samantha Westervelt) are living on the fringes of poverty in Los Angeles, working any scam to pay the rent. So when Gwen’s sister reminds them her baby shower is happening later that day, the friends go on a quest to find the perfect gift—and the cash to pay for it. This entails making a list of friends who owe them money, hoping to shake them down for the required $150 while navigating the quirks and detours of a city determined to beat them down at every turn.

The quest plotline is nothing new—in fact, it’s been a comedy staple since the Hope/Crosby days right up to Harold & Kumar. But it provides a solid structure for inserting the oddball characters James and Gwen meet along the way, including a shady art dealer, a whacked-out cult leader (Corey Feldman), and a wealthy pervert who farts in all the colors of the rainbow.

Sour Party wants to play in the same sandbox as modern, male-led R-rated comedies, but it’s actually better when it shows its softer side. For all of James and Gwen’s run-ins with old flames and wacky acquaintances, their casual confrontations with UTIs and the perils of OnlyFans, the film’s exploration of a complicated female friendship is its biggest accomplishment. That, and Amanda Drexton herself, who owns the movie lock, stock, and barrel. Get this woman a sitcom!

Anchor Bay’s Blu-ray release includes a “yearbook” (essentially a quick montage of the all-hands-on-deck production) and a commentary track with the stars and crew.