‘Drive-Away Dolls’ is an action comedy that follows Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) two women looking to get out of town for a while. Whilst Jamie wants to get away from a nasty break-up, Marian wants to relax and devote time to herself easing back into the dating pool.
Opening on Jamie in the sack with Carla (Annie Gonzalez), not her girlfriend, she receives a call from disgruntled Marian asking to go out for the night. The evening leads both to the conclusion that they need to get out of town, setting off on a road-trip to Tallahassee.
Starting on a high note, the chemistry shared by Qualley and Viswanathan promises for an exciting odd-couple type of adventure. Qualley’s outgoing, brash and adventurous character finds herself at odds with Viswanathan’s reserved and confrontational deportment, resulting in snappy and entertaining exchanges between the two.
The conflict of the film arises as the two girls accidentally rent a car that was due to be picked up by a couple of goons, carrying hefty cargo in the boot of the car. Unaware of the cargo, Jamie and Marian set off and are pursued by Arliss (Joey Slotnick) and Flint (C.J. Wilson). Mirroring the girls, the two goons deliver a similar atmosphere as they bicker and bemoan the journey they are sharing.
Eventually uncovering the hidden away briefcase, the girls contact Jamie’s ex Sukie (Beanie Feldstein), a cop with an attitude, in order to get help and figure out what to do next. Airing on the wilder side, the girls use the uncovered goods to blackmail a campaigning senator, successfully securing a hefty ransom.
‘Drive-Away Dolls’ veers from wildly unpredictable to shockingly hilarious, as the story dips from one crazy coincidence to another. Oftentimes relying on the sheer shock value of the blue humor, the film is ultimately carried by its quirky and curious characters. Singular and uniquely endearing, each character carries with them a lovable and also a slightly deplorable demeanor, enchanting the viewers, demanding our attention to their actions as we’re so unsure of whether to love or loath them.
The core of the story resolves to be the love shared between the reserved Marian and experimental Jamie. The two grow closer and closer as each share and open up about their wants and needs, driving them closer together. Awkward and cringey at times, Qualley and Viswanathan manage a heartfelt expression of their love as they drive off into the sunset as the film concludes.
The brazen humor may not be to everyone’s liking, but the film does not solely rely on shock value. The story manages to find balance between endearing and uncomfortable as the girls travel further down south, encountering and confronting a slew of singular characters and situations. Very much worth while if one is partial to ribaldry and particularly comfortable with all manners of sexual expression, the film delivers a boatload of laughs and uneasy moments.
Score: 3/4
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