The Bubble is a comedy with an over-the-top script plummeting into a free fall with every passing minute. The stuffed comedy flick doesn’t generate any interest for most of the movie, directed by Judd Apatow and starring Iris Apatow, Karen Gillan and Pedro Pascal. The Bubble is an ensemble movie with both its strength and weakness. It has a runtime of roughly 126 minutes.
– The Bubble doesn’t contain any spoilers –
Apatow’s the Bubble Is Replete With a Stir-Crazy Plot and Corny Sense of Humour
Although it was written and filmed during the pandemic and is filled with many nods to this crazy time in history, the movie doesn’t work. It feels like a series of unconnected vignettes strung together by an overarching plot that never quite connects all the pieces — perhaps because it runs for approximately 2 hours and 6 minutes and doesn’t give away much.
But for all its jokes about using COVID-19 as an excuse to get out of social obligations, Apatow’s film doesn’t find much humour in the actual pandemic. It doesn’t seem to have much to say about it at all. The funny bits might be enough for some people. But others are bound to feel deflated by how little the film has to say about this historic moment in time.
Apatow’s The Bubble is a comedy about shooting an action movie during a pandemic (no, not that one). As a social experiment, Apatow has said he sees the disconnect which occurs in a world where COVID-19 still exists. The first feature film to be shot during the pandemic is undoubtedly an ambitious accomplishment. But does it work? Sadly, not a great deal.
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The Bubble Focuses More on the Cameos Than the Comedic Sequences
Apatow has assembled an eclectic cast for his silly romp, and he knows how to get the best out of the cast. Although the movie succeeds in being funny, it fails at being anything more than that, despite Apatow’s good intentions.
This is an exciting premise for a comedy, and in better hands, it could have been much more entertaining. However, it is the kind of film with so many misses from its ensemble cast that it’s hard even to notice when there’s a hit. The story is a cliche of the genre, with a handful of twists and turns to keep things interesting. But the acting is really what carries it.
The film is not cohesive, with scenes devoid of purpose and every character’s role in the self-aware premise. The Bubble is The Big Sick meets Contagion, with a hefty dose of Judd Apatow’s signature humour mixed in for good measure. It’s about a group of friends trying to live their lives normally when the world around them has gone into shutdown mode due to COVID-19.
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The Bubble Movie Is a Saga of One-Dimensional Pseudo Jokes and Protocols
The movie is an exciting way to tell a story about quarantine. It allows these characters to come together and be in close quarters and keeps them apart from society at large, making it easier for Apatow and his co-writers to puncture any pretence of normalcy with visual jokes about people wearing masks or walking around with gloved hands.
But it also creates an artificial world that has little bearing on reality and isn’t all that interesting. Apatow seems more interested in what would happen if these characters were stuck together than he does in telling the story. They’re also not very good at connecting in any meaningful way — a more obvious dynamic as the film progresses.
Stream It or Skip It?
The Bubble is a short comedy film that’s more of a lighthearted snapshot of the world during quarantine. As for me? I didn’t enjoy watching it. It’s not perfect by any means — some parts drag on way too long, some jokes fall flat, and some weirdly uncomfortable scenes.
The Bubble is streaming on Netflix.