37
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- Although some of the road-trip clichés are unavoidable, Ass Backwards overcomes the obvious beats with clever, occasionally dark jokes that reveal the sharpness of its stars’ writing.
- 70Village VoiceChris PackhamVillage VoiceChris PackhamThe episodic story and minimal budget result in a small canvas over which these two huge characters dominate.
- 63RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comIt's infectious, and the daffy, breezy way they play off each other makes Ass Backwards way more enjoyable than it ought to be.
- 50Film.comJordan HoffmanFilm.comJordan HoffmanCo-writers and stars June Diane Raphael (“Whitney,” “New Girl”) and Casey Wilson (“Happy Endings”) are genuine and true comic performers. Even though the story stunk, the set pieces were uninspired and the direction was downright wretched, when these two are “on” and doing schtick, they are absolutely fresh and hilarious.
- 30VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyAss Backwards proves that no amount of comic talent can shine — or raise a chuckle — in the absence of even halfway decent material.
- 30The DissolveMike D'AngeloThe DissolveMike D'AngeloApparently unsure whether to go with the lazy idea of a disastrous beauty pageant or the equally lazy idea of a zany road trip, Raphael and Wilson lazily combine the two.
- 30Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleThe scenarios in Ass Backwards, which director Chris Nelson contributed to by filming in focus, feel arbitrary rather than organic, as if the creators' list of humor targets — lesbian bikers, trailer trash, drug-addicted reality TV stars, pageant world denizens — were picked out of a hat.
- 30The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThe New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThe film, a comedy without much comedy in it... clumsily tries to merge road trip humor and beauty pageant parody.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweIll-advised and amateurishly executed, Ass Backwards begins with a passably funny concept and runs it into the ground within 20 minutes.
- 20Time OutTime OutWilson and Raphael have been a comedy team for years, and they riff off each other expertly; too often, however, that’s all they do.