Review of Ibiza (2018) by Prime R — 07 Jun 2018

If you have ever had a DJ change your life, are an unabashed shipper and like movies like Go than you might just have found your new favorite movie. The plot is super simple and yes filled with cliches which are pointed out and ridiculed by the characters themselves.

The thing is, this works perfectly for the story, it's light and 100% focused in the moment. Characterization is left to the imagination and the plot is fairy-tale like and as delicious as Cinnabon rolls, everything works out somehow perfectly.

Mixed in with the fantasy is a nice dose of realness because it depicts the travel abroad and partying quite close to reality: when you travel abroad you make new instantaneous friends and find odd characters, when you listen to a "proper artist" DJ you do get feels, and when you hang out with your besties you do and say stupid stuff because they have your back.

The best part is the romance, be that platonic or sexual. There are no fights between the girls and the only horribleness comes from Harper's boss (who gets the perfect dose of nasty from our heroine).

Girls who support and love each other is a wonderful thing to watch, especially in a real-world drenched in negativity and misogyny. And so is a romantic couple who falls in love at first sight and although adorably awkward are 100% for it.

To say this movie is not funny is bullshit, Vanessa Bayer is hilarious, Phoebe Robinson is a badass queen and Gillian Jacobs is the perfect imperfect heroine. The writing is spot on, Lauryn Kahn gives the perfect balance of through-the-roof romance and funny stuff from things that go bump in the night, while still leaving room for plenty of improv from these talented comedians.

Even if the movie is not perfect and certainly not deep it does offer a pretty round story about a girl who changes her attitude towards life when presented with an opportunity to be happy. She makes all the wrong the decisions, it just happens they are the right ones.

The fact that she never really loses sight of how ridiculous, irresponsible and unlikely her situation is while her "give-a-fuck meter is at zero" is what makes this character so great. As an audience, we get to live it by proxy.

The only thing I wish was different was for the ending to be as fantastic as the rest of the movie. We who loved the movie would love to see the sequel. Watch it and if you don't like it, hopefully, you'll find a movie that you love as much as the people who did like this one.

And for the haters? "I did catch a really weird contagious flu on the flight so... atchoo, bitch!".