The Wrong Missy Synopsis: Tim thinks he’s invited the woman of his dreams on a work retreat to Hawaii, realizing too late he mistakenly texted someone from a nightmare blind date.
After a disastrous first date with the obnoxious, socially awkward Missy (Lauren Lapkus), Tim (David Spade) meets the beautiful Melissa (Molly Sims) at the airport. They share a romantic moment and exchange numbers before parting ways.
After a co-worker convinces Tim to invite Melissa to a corporate retreat in Hawaii, Tim mistakenly texts Missy instead of Melissa, and it’s Missy who shows up on the plane to Hawaii. A revolving door of humiliation for Tim follows as Missy behaves like a lunatic. To raise the stakes, Tim is gunning for a promotion and is hoping to impress his new boss.
Anytime you see the Happy Madison Productions studio logo, you already know what you’re getting. Occasionally, the studio will put out a decent flick here and there (50 First Dates, Funny People). Still, for the most part… it seems to be a factory of terrible frathouse movies all starring Adam Sandler’s friends, whether they fit the role or not. The Wrong Missy is another Happy Madison movie that misses the mark.
David Spade was completely bland in The Wrong Missy, and, despite being in Hawaii, looked bored as hell. I’ve seen plenty of movies starring Spade where he was funny, so I know he’s a talented comedian. Some of his jokes land, but he’s not a convincing romantic lead for the most part. We have to believe that three attractive women all fell in love with him, and I’m sorry, but I didn’t buy it.
The bright spot in The Wrong Missy is Lauren Lapkus herself. Yes, Missy is, for the most part, horribly obnoxious and inappropriate. The secondhand embarrassment was intense. But she does have quite a few humorous moments, and once the character relaxes a little, she’s much easier to take. Lapkus would be fantastic in a rom-com with a great script and a more believable love interest with whom she actually has chemistry.
I’m honestly not sure when Tim falls in love with Missy. For 90% of the film, he’s embarrassed and trying to get rid of her. I suppose he starts to see a new side of her when she hypnotizes his boss to get Tim his promotion. I’m not sure. But Tim’s sudden change of heart made zero sense. Perhaps all Missy had to do was stop talking like “Hellstar,” her demonic alter ego, for him to see her loveable side.
There are also parts of the movie that felt out of place – why did Tim need to have his ex-fiance at the retreat? He’s already dealing with two potential love interests in Missy and Melissa, so what was the point of throwing his ex in the mix, too? The supposed payoff, a threesome gone wrong, isn’t nearly funny enough to justify it. There’s also a nonconsensual handjob and a dubious non-con sex scene that probably would have created more problems had it been Spade’s character having sex with Missy while she sleeps. The rest is primarily sophomoric humor you’ve likely already seen if you’ve watched any other Happy Madison production.
I’m giving The Wrong Missy 1.5 stars because of Lauren Lapkus and a few scenes of the movie that were actually funny. The rest was completely forgettable. I can’t even recommend this for a dull, rainy Saturday. Just skip it.
Watched: 06/12/2021
Notable Song: My Neck, My Back (Lick It) by Elle King
