ALL NIGHT WRONG

All Night Wrong fires on all cylinders thanks to the terrific comedic partnering of Maria Bakalova and Zach Cherry who bring to life the wild night of danger, laughter and healing at the heart of Jason Filiatrault’s screenplay that boasts an entertaining mix of the romantic comedy and neo noir thriller.

It’s only a blind date, what could go wrong? That is the starting point of All Night Wrong which sees our two main characters who meet for a blind date and casual hookup, who quickly find themselves at the centre of a crime and on the run for their lives. Murder, stolen funds, and an elaborate scam all follow Ell and Gary on their unforgettable night, with these events propelling the film forward, allowing the chaos and danger to grow with each twist and turn. Under Jason James’ direction, each set piece ups the ante and never fails to deliver big laughter and thrilling moments throughout the entirety of the film. Though the end goal of the Filiatrault’s story is foreseeable as the story itself feels familiar to other similar films, following a pre-established narrative blueprint, its many twists and turns are more than enough to keep viewers engaged as Ell and Gary not only learn more about each other, but the deadly situation they find themselves entangled in.

The film’s setting of a winter night in a small isolated town helps to differentiate All Night Wrong from other films with similar narratives, forgoing the typical big city that most reminiscent films choose to play out in, which gives this story a feeling of isolation which mirrors the starting point for the character arcs for Ell and Gary. But, what makes this story its own, gives it its heart, and makes it more than these larger wild moments, is its themes of healing and love. Ell and Gary aren’t your typical romantic pairing given their differences, nor one that audiences would typically root for to get together by the end of the film, but it is the way that their night together bonds and helps them each come to terms with their own life circumstances that led them to set up the blind date, and realize that they are both worthy of love and happiness. It’s this aspect of Filiatrault’s screenplay and James’ decision to hone in on it from a directorial point of view that not only establishes a distinct personality for All Night Wrong that fully invests viewers in Ell and Gary’s character arcs by giving it emotional stakes, but adds purpose and meaning to the story behind the numerous outrageous comedic moments that take centre stage throughout the film.

Given their comedic talents on their own, it comes as no surprise that Bakalova and Cherry are one killer comedic partnering that makes All Night Wrong the hilarious ride it is. Sharing practically every scene of the movie together, Bakalova and Cherry’s distinct comedy styles are on full display as they play off each other’s zany comedic energy, ensuring that each scene is bursting with an uncontrollable and unpredictable comedic energy that keeps both the audiences and the characters on their toes as you never know what line is going to fly out of their mouths next. As funny as this is, this comedic timing also helps to break down their characters and lead to unexpected reveals and moments of vulnerability between Ell and Gary, allowing Bakalova and Cherry to give heartfelt and soul searching performances in the film’s more dramatic character moments. For the majority of their careers, both Bakalova and Cherry have been the supporting comedic relief actors, but their work together here in All Night Wrong confirms their ability to not only lead a film, but that their talents extend far beyond delivering comedic one liners for easy laughter.

In terms of supporting performances, the supporting cast of Tyler Labine, Emily Hampshire and Preston Vanderslice may only have a small amount of screentime, but each of them makes the most of it. From Labine playing opposite his usual role as the dangerous individual that Ell and Gary have crossed paths with, reveling in the unhinged darkness of his character, Hampshire as the on the run Laura, or Vanderslice as the “other guy” Chad whose charm and kindness makes for a hard to hate character that causes Gary to hilariously spiral, each one of them shines with great chemistry opposite Bakalova and Cherry and ensures that their character only adds to the chaos and laughter of Filiatrault’s screenplay.

Instantly reminiscent of Steve Carell and Tina Fey’s Date Night in the best way possible, with another killer comedic pairing of Maria Bakalova and Zach Cherry, All Night Wrong is a hilarious Canadian independent film that not only delivers big laughter, but big feels at the same time. Utilizing the winter atmosphere of British Columbia to inform the character arcs and help create some of the outrageous events of Ell and Gary’s blind date gone horribly wrong, Jason James’ latest film delivers the outrageous comedic moments that will have viewers laughing non stop largely thanks to the outstanding comedic pairing of Maria Bakalova and Zach Cherry, but also impresses with its emotional honesty and character development that ensures All Night Wrong is a zany anti-romantic comedy that hits all the right notes.