The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018) Movie Review

THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME (2018) MOVIE REVIEW

Espionage has always been one of my favourite genres of films to watch. Whether the film is taking itself seriously or not, movies like James Bond or comedies such as the Austin Powers franchise have more often than not satisfied my need for secret agent flicks. However when I think of a movie like this, ironically it is not the spy antics and jokes I’ll be remembering. It is the friendship and chemistry between our two leads Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon who end up being the driving force behind this fish out of water action-comedy.  

After one of our main protagonist’s boyfriend dumps her, she and her best friend soon become entangled in an international government conspiracy after they learn her ex-boyfriend was a secret agent. The film boasts a simple enough plot but manages to execute the story device in an entertaining and most importantly, funny manner. Using the fish out of water story arch is one that is not an unknown device to spy films, much less comedy films but with the right leads and writing, The Spy Who Dumped Me manages to tell a complete story despite its unnecessarily bloated runtime of nearly two hours. As a result of this, the movie tends to drag out jokes that both hit the mark and completely miss which ends up being a double edged sword. Sometimes a joke will work and result in laughter, other times the joke will fall flat and not work. And unfortunately, these are the jokes the editors decided to draw out. Which is a real shame as there are some great scenes sprinkled throughout the film, one of my personal favourites being the duo’s first chase scene where they encounter an Uber driver whom takes them on a hilarious car chase filled where vehicular antics ensue. 

Now although the premise for the movie isn’t anything original, the execution was done quite well. This was helped by director and head write Susanna Fogel who did a great job guiding the girls in this film how to act and as is her job, giving them great direction. As a result, Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon were easily the highlight of this comedy, having great chemistry and genuinely feeling like best friends. However not is all good when it comes to our main duo. While Mila Kunis’ character was written well, the character portrayed by McKinnon for my money was a bit too much at times. Over exaggerating most if not all scenes, her character was written to be over bearing and quickly became one of my biggest pet peeves of the film. But in terms of Kate’s performance, I must give the devil her due as she did play the character extremely well. 

Overall there was a lot to enjoy out of The Spy Who Dumped Me. Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon were the highlights of the film and were given solid scenarios to act out. Despite this, the film went a little too long nearly clocking in at two hours and by the third act, you could definitely feel it. If you’re a fan of either actress or are looking for a solid comedy you don’t have to invest too much into, this film is one you can easily enjoy. But one you won’t remember too far down the line.

OVERALL

5 / 10