This is one of those rare comedies with a title so brilliant it sets an incredibly high bar for the rest of the movie to clear. Thankfully, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass—David Wain’s seventh feature film and his first writing collaboration with Ken Marino since 2012’s Wanderlust—delivers. As a longtime Wain fan, I can say this film is indeed consistently funny throughout, even though some of the tonal shifts into violence feel slightly mismatched with the rest of the director’s signature absurdist humor. What works best here is the superb ensemble cast, led by a terrific Zoey Deutch in the title role. She ignites a brilliant comedic synergy with the rest of the actors, including John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang, Sabrina Impacciatore, Joe Lo Truglio, and Jon Hamm.
The narrative kickstarts with Gail (Deutch), a woman deeply in love with her fiancé, Tom (Michael Cassidy), though their upcoming nuptials take a wild detour when they agree to a mutual “celebrity sex pass” pact. For Gail, the ultimate prize is her lifelong crush: Mad Men star Jon Hamm. However, the stakes skyrocket when Tom unexpectedly cashes in his own pass with Jennifer Aniston (playing a delightfully heightened version of herself) after crossing paths with her at a cookbook signing. This betrayal throws Gail into a deep depression, but she is pulled out of her funk by her fierce, motivational hairstylist co-worker, Otto (Gutierrez-Riley). Together, the two hit the asphalt on a frantic road trip to Los Angeles to even the score and cash in Gail’s pass before the wedding day arrives.
Naturally, in true Wain fashion, the journey spins completely out of control. After a mysterious briefcase mix-up, the duo finds themselves hunted by the mob over a stash of highly valuable contraband. Desperate to navigate Hollywood, Gail and her co-worker team up with a savvy CAA intern (Wang) who agrees to use his agency resources to track down Hamm. Along the way, the quest turns into a star-studded circus: they cross paths with a hilariously aloof John Slattery (playing himself), while a relentless, unhinged paparazzi tracking their every move (Ken Marino) joins the entourage just to get the ultimate money shot when Gail finally confronts Hamm.
Courtesy Sony Pictures Classic
While the main narrative thrives on its zany, character-driven journey, the film frequently detours into a series of unnecessary “run from the mob” subplots. Helmed by a ruthless female crime boss and her bumbling goons, these segments culminate in an inevitable final showdown that bogs down the pacing with silly, over-the-top shootouts and henchmen action. Although this crime-caper angle feels comedically uneven, the script instantly corrects itself whenever Gail and her crew are simply on screen together, bouncing off one another in their desperate, chaos-free search for Hamm.
It is in these grounded character beats where the humor truly lands—particularly a running joke involving John Slattery’s career disappointments and his desperate attempts to hide the fact that his former co-star and friend, Jon Hamm, rarely texts him back. Anchoring the entire circus is the radiant Zoey Deutch, who brings an infectious joy and charisma to the title role, once again proving her effortless ability to carry both high-energy comedy and genuine romantic stakes with equal charm.
Adding an extra layer of structural eccentricity to the film is the unconventional use of a mailman narrator, played with glorious deadpan wit by Fred Melamed. Rather than serving as a traditional, detached storyteller, Melamed functions as a witty, omniscient presence who injects sharp banter and meta-insights directly into the unfolding madness. His booming, theatrical observations on Gail’s crisis provide a unique rhythmic flavor to the movie, leaning heavily into David Wain’s signature fourth-wall-breaking style while serving up some of the absolute funniest lines in the script.
Courtesy Sony Pictures Classic
In the end, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass plays out with an abundance of humor and joy, capturing a frantic, satirical energy that feels like a classic sketch ripped straight out of the pages of Mad Magazine or Cracked. Its best absurdist gags easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the strongest left-field comedies of its kind. While the uneven mob elements prevent it from reaching its absolute highest potential as a flawless comedy classic, the film is ultimately amusing and enjoyable enough to be well worth the price of admission.
The final act is especially elevated when Jon Hamm finally graces the screen. The resulting exchanges—where Gail and her ragtag crew are frantically pressured by Hamm’s intense assistant to pitch him a feature film script on the spot because he will “do anything”—creates a brilliant peak of Hollywood satire. It provides a hilariously chaotic climax where Gail finally gets her hard-won opportunity to cash in her celebrity sex pass, leaving audiences laughing long after the credits roll.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is now playing in theaters
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