Quiz Lady Movie Review

Quiz Lady (2023)

Watch Quiz Lady on Hulu
Written by: Jen D'Angelo
Directed by: Jessica Yu
Starring: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Will Ferrell, Jason Schwartzman, Tawny Newsome, Paul Reubens, Tony Hale
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
A game-show-obsessed woman and her estranged sister work together to help cover their mother's gambling debts.

Verdict
It's the typical odd couple setup that starts out fun enough but begins to stall two thirds into the movie as it tries to fill time and transitions to the last act. The conclusion is an improvement, but this never overcomes being too predictable.
It depends.

Review
Anne (Awkwafina) and Jenny (Sandra Oh) are sisters that couldn't be more different. They're brought together when their mom flees the assisted living facility and skips out on a gambling debt. Jenny lives carefree, taking advantage of any situation and always making a scene. Anne is the uptight CPA, frequently embarrassed by her sister and preferring to avoid the center of attention.

Awkwafina, Sandra Oh play Annie, Jenny

With the debt must be paid, Jenny proposes Anne go on her favorite game show, Quiz Show. Anne has been watching the show religiously since she was a kid and knows all the answers. Anne sees this as yet another crazy scheme from Jenny that won't end well. Jenny has to force her on the trip where Anne becomes extremely nervous during the application process.

Awkwafina, Jason Schwartzman play Anne, Ron

To combat nervousness, Jenny feeds Anne pills from her stash. What follows is tripping sequence that's so shallow and tired. The animation gives it a cool effect, but it's so generic. It's one thing to be predictable and fun; that's how this starts. Unfortunately this becomes predictable and boring as the story falters. It gets better when the Quiz Show sequence starts, but the way this brings all of Jenny's antics back at the end is overly scripted as it compacts them in such a quick sequence. Anne is given a rival in Ron (Jason Schwartzman), the reigning champion, but it feels like yet another thing to pad the run time.

This has its moments, but it's too easy of a watch. It's not difficult to see where this is going from the beginning before it slowly begins to drag. Sandra Oh is fun to watch in an atypical role, but it's not enough.