Film Review by Karly Stilling
What happens when the guy you’re dating dumps you over text and then ghosts you? If you’re Audrey (Mila Kunis) and have the tremendous good fortune of having a best friend like Morgan (Kate McKinnon), then you’re quickly convinced to gather his shit together and set it on fire.
The hitch? When your best friend texts him to tell him you’re about to burn his shit, he calls you – an actual voice-to-voice conversation! – and sets into motion a very strange series of events which sees you and your BFF fending off baddies with accents and guns before heading to Vienna on a mysterious mission to deliver a package. Because, if you’re Mila Kunis, the real reason your guy has dumped you is because he’s an international spy with some very valuable information (which you were unwittingly about to burn) and he had to distance himself to keep you safe. All together now: aww.
If that’s exactly what you expect from a spoof film titled The Spy Who Dumped Me, then boy does this film deliver: it’s silly, slightly campy, and perfect fare for a gal’s night. While a lot of the spy schtick is cringey and predictable (it is, after all, a spoof), what keeps the film enjoyable is the presence of the wondrous and hilarious being that is Kate McKinnon and the enviably intimate friendship between the two girls.
Don’t expect any big revelations or particularly clever writing – the most this film can muster in terms of deeper meaning is a vague attempt at Audrey learning not to let men underestimate her as much as she underestimates herself – but do expect to laugh.
And walk away with an even bigger friend crush on Kate McKinnon than you came in with. Or is that just me?
Final verdict? The perfect buddy film for a hungover Sunday morning with your mates!
The Spy Who Dumped Me is currently available for streaming on Netflix in the UK. Please check with Netflix to see if it’s available in your area.
A version of this review was first posted on The Digital Fix.
