Quiz Lady Trailer Teases Actual Comedy

Movies

In more proof that the comedy is all but dead as a theatrical force, Hulu has released a trailer for the upcoming film Quiz Lady. The movie concerns Anne, whose mother is kidnapped by gangsters over a gambling debt and must use her knowledge of trivia to win the money needed to pay them off on a quiz show. Awkwafina stars as Anne, with Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, and Jon “Dumbfounded” Park (a name I’ll say I’ll never forget for a joke, but will most likely forget) in supporting roles, and Will Ferrell as the game show host. Directed by Jessica Yu, Quiz Lady will arrive on Hulu on November 3, 2023. Check out the trailer below:

I have to admit that the Quiz Lady trailer made me laugh a few times. I think Hollywood studios are finally understanding that they need to dial back – and in some cases, push back against – wokeness to make a comedy funny. (Adan Devine explained how comedies get greenlit now, and it’s a horror story that explains a lot.) Earlier this year, No Hard Feelings did just that, and while it was an unfortunate bomb, it was a funny movie. Now, we have Quiz Lady, and it looks like it’s doing the same. Take that clip where Sandra Oh is told she needs to learn how to drive, immediately calls the other driver a racist, assuming he’s stereotyping her because she’s Asian, then sees he’s Asian too and realizes it’s because she almost caused a car accident. That’s funny, and it reveals the idiocy of injecting race into everything without losing the sense of fun a comedy needs. Of course, Quiz Lady could be lousy; a lot of your tolerance for it will likely depend on how annoying you find Awkwafina. I like her fine, and I thought she was funny in a few movies, so she doesn’t bother me. I also love a lot of the supporting cast, like Holland Taylor, Jason Schwartzman, and especially Will Ferrell. Once upon a time, Will Ferrell’s presence would make a movie a must-see for me, but he’s been on a bad streak in recent years, likely because comedies tend to suck now. But I like the idea of seeing him as a game show host, and I’m sure he’ll be a zany character. I’ll check this one out; hopefully, I won’t regret it.