A Big Bold Disaster
I really love when a movie feels like a movie—one that transports you into a world that’s big and beautiful. This was not that. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey follows Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David (Colin Farrell), who are both on their way to a wedding. As David exits his home, he finds a ticket and a boot on his car, forcing him to rent one. What he doesn’t realize is that this rental company, “The Car Rental Agency,” isn’t a normal rental company. Honestly, it’s an odd setup—why not just go to Hertz or Enterprise? Instead, there are only two cars available (1994 Saturns). Things only get stranger when David sits down at what looks like a casting table and is pressured into adding a GPS to his rental.
David reluctantly agrees and sets off for the wedding. I’m still not sure how either party knows the bride or groom. It’s an awkward start, made even stranger when he meets Sarah and sparks up a conversation. Their dialogue feels stiff, the chemistry non-existent, and nothing about it comes across as authentic. Out of nowhere, Sarah asks him to marry her. When he laughs it off, she pivots to asking him to dance. He refuses, and that’s the end of their interaction. Both retreat to their rooms and prepare to leave the next day.
As David drives home, the GPS asks if he’d like to go on a “big bold beautiful journey.” He reluctantly agrees. The device directs him to stop for a cheeseburger, where he coincidentally runs into Sarah again. They strike up another awkward conversation—one that feels like little more than a Burger King brand deal. This time, when Sarah’s car won’t start, David’s GPS insists he pick her up, finally beginning their journey together.
From there, the story devolves into a series of magical doors that transport them into moments from their pasts. The GPS seems intent on teaching them about themselves—and each other. Through these detours, we learn Sarah’s history with men, her grief over her mother’s death, and her fear of simply being happy. David, on the other hand, reveals he was once a theater lead, had his heart broken, and even broke off an engagement. It all feels like someone designed this setup to make them “learn from the past.”
But instead of offering healing, the film just reopens old wounds. It becomes clear these two don’t actually want to change—they just don’t want to be alone. The lack of chemistry is glaring. For two acclaimed actors, you’d expect sparks, but there’s nothing. It reminded me of the fake movie from The Holiday—the whole time, I couldn’t believe it was real.
The film gives you no context. You don’t know the year, the decade, the city—nothing. The rental car company is never explained. The driving shots suggest Los Angeles, but David’s home looks like New York City. It honestly feels like someone typed “romance movie” into AI and asked it to spit out a script.
It’s shocking that the same writer behind The Menu put this together. I genuinely think this might be one of the worst films ever made. As I write this, I still can’t believe it’s a real movie. It felt fake from beginning to end, and instead of improving, it just kept nose-diving. I say skip this journey.
Overall 1/5
