This role lets him scream, sprint, crash into things, and show off that he’s a sweetheart who wants to include you his absurdity. “Bad Trip” is an excellent showcase for Eric André-it’s more mainstream than his talk-show-in-hell “The Eric André Show” and less watered down than his recent resume-boosting, commercial work like “The Lion King” and elsewhere. Footage in the end credits of the real people excited to learn that they’re in a movie-a comfort for us as well-confirms the chaos is controlled physically and emotionally, and that allows it to be a party. Natural human behavior can be extremely funny, and Sakurai and André know it’s possible to bring it out of people without being mean-spirited. Unlike the films that previously defined the subgenre, it’s not so much about creating a freak show from unsuspecting extras, but in noting what one would do when confronted with someone as delusional as André’s character Chris. Directed by Kitao Sakurai, the previous director behind numerous episodes of “The Eric André Show,” it shows an evolution in the hidden camera subgenre, given its warming spirit about people.
This hilarious sequence, which overlaps cliché storytelling with the unassuming public, is just one of many endearing moments in “Bad Trip,” a hidden camera comedy gem starring Eric André, Lil Rel Howery, and Tiffany Haddish that’s finally coming out on Netflix.
