Scandals
The trailer for “Joy Ride”, a raunchy comedy starring a strong cast of Asian actors, dropped over the weekend. Fans are buzzing with excitement as it releases this summer.
The trailer begins with a bang, a 5-year-old Asian girl punching and cursing at a white classmate for calling her a racist slur. The film’s trailer focuses on the friendship between Audrey (Ashley Park), and Lolo (“Sherry Cola”).
The story is reminiscent of an Asian version “The Hangover” and follows two women as they travel to China to find Audrey’s birth mom. They meet Audrey’s college roommate Kat (Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu), and Lolo’s cousin Deadeye, (Sabrina Wu).
The four of them travel together through China and meet hot guys. They have their passports stolen and are posing as K-pop stars. Inadvertently, they get caught up in drug smuggling.
Hsu stated that it was a privilege to be able to make this raunchy, balls-to-the-wall, rated R, wild and unhinged movie. This interview was conducted at South by Southwest’s premiere. “Our movie isn’t about so much more. It’s just a good time.”
The film will be released on July 7th by Adele Lim, a “Crazy Rich Asians” writer in her directorial debut. Seth Rogen produced the film, which features cameos from Chris Pang, Desmond Chiam, and Ronny Chieng.
It is unabashedly sexual, which Cola believes it one of its most important aspects. “Joy Ride” offers a chance to rewrite history, given the historical exoticization and fetishization of Asian women in Western media.
Cola stated that it has always been so extreme in the past. “This film is about reclaiming sexuality and telling that story through the lens of our own eyes, through our mouths, and through our bodies. That’s my number one goal, to redefine the box we’ve been placed in.
Cast members stated that a movie with Asian main characters is a monumental achievement in a media landscape that has so often used them as stereotypes or side roles.
Park stated that “We’re all very comfortable being supporting characters.” Park said, “We were like, “Oh my gosh! It feels like we’ve been filming another movie every day. Like a different genre.” And then we were like, “I guess that’s how being the protagonist in your story feels like.”
Sakshi Venkatraman
Sakshi Venkatraman works as a reporter at NBC Asian America.
