Review: Ibiza

There isn't particularly anything in Ibiza that hasn't already been seen in similarly female-led, R-rated comedies like Bridesmaids or Girls Trip, yet it doesn't make the film any less entertaining. Overcoming its somewhat problematic premise - girl is attracted to guy and follows him to said title location - the film delivers plenty of raunch and heart.

The film opens to the strains of "New York, New York," though Harper (Gillian Jacobs) is not exactly top of the heap or king of the hill. She's a low-level publicist with a hilariously horrible boss, played to the hilt by Michaela Watkins, who decides to send her on a business trip to Barcelona not necessarily because Harper is talented but because she has the correct vaginal energy for the horny Spanish clients. At least Harper has her best friends Nikki (Vanessa Bayer) and Leah (Phoebe Robinson) there to ensure that there's some partying that shall be done.

Harper lands herself in a mess of her own making when she meets Leo (Richard Madden), a charming and sexy celebrity DJ with whom she shares an instant attraction. Eager to maintain the connection, she decides to take him up on his offer to meet him at his next gig in Ibiza even though she has a very important early meeting with the clients the next morning. Naturally, much mayhem ensues, most of it either fueled by booze, drugs or the libido.

Ibiza provides its three leading ladies with solid material to work with, though Robinson's role and performance comes off as a muted version of Tiffany Haddish's volcanic and rightfully commended role in Girls Trip. Bayer mines the film's biggest laughs with well-executed physical comedy, whilst Jacobs provides Ibiza's emotional anchor. Though it doesn't quite match some of the more outrageous moments of its ilk, what does distinguish Ibiza is its portrait of a loving and supportive female friendship unblemished by the infighting that provided both Bridesmaids and Girls Trip with their narrative engines. Also refreshing is Harper and Leo's romance, which involves nary a mind game but is merely about two people enjoying their connection and being awkwardly endearing in declaring their feelings for one another.

Ibiza

Directed by: Alex Richanbach

Written by: Lauryn Kahn

Starring: Gillian Jacobs, Vanessa Bayer, Phoebe Robinson, Richard Madden, Michaela Watkins, Jordi Mollà