Ethan, Isaac and Chris have spent every Christmas Eve together since 2001, when Ethan lost his parents in a car crash. Now it is 2015, and the trio have decided to call it quits. That means one last night of debauchery in New York City, a quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas parties, and a pile of recreational drugs to keep them company along the way.
Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The Setup
The premise is simple and effective. Three lifelong friends, one final night, and a shared history that keeps pulling them back together. Ethan is a struggling musician, Isaac is married with a baby on the way, and Chris has become a famous football player. The film spends its runtime making the case that this particular tradition deserves to end well.
The Drugs
Recreational drugs drive the action from start to finish. Magic mushrooms, cocaine and marijuana flow freely, and the film leans on them to create chaos. Isaac takes drugs from his wife Betsy before the night starts, and Chris buys more from their old high school dealer, Mr. Green. The effect is predictable: people talk too much, phones get mixed up, and the line between reality and hallucination blurs.
The Chase
The trio chase a stolen stash of marijuana across New York. Chris loses his weed to a supposed fan who turns out to be a thief. They call Mr. Green for more, only to discover Isaac has accidentally swapped phones with Sarah, the friend of Diana, Ethan’s ex-girlfriend. The chase is frantic, but it plays like a standard comedy beat rather than a genuinely suspenseful one.
The Midnight Mass
Isaac, still high, walks into Midnight Mass at church. He runs into Betsy and her family, and the scene descends into chaos. He vomits on the church floor. It is the film’s most memorable moment, a genuine spectacle that earns its place.
The Beatdown
Ethan gets beaten by two drunk pub crawlers dressed as Santa Claus after a confrontation. It is a brutal image, and it lands because the film has built up the stakes of this final night. Ethan is not just chasing a party; he is fighting to hold onto a bond that is about to break.
The Cast
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie carry the film. Jillian Bell and Lizzy Caplan round out the supporting cast as Betsy and Diana. The chemistry between the leads is strong, and the film leans on it heavily.
The Verdict
The Night Before is a solid, if uneven, comedy. It has a strong premise, a committed cast and a few scenes that stick with you. But the drug-fueled chaos can feel thin, and the chase loses momentum once the stakes are established. The film knows what it wants to be, and it mostly delivers, even when the execution wobbles.
Key Facts
- Title: The Night Before
- Year: 2015
- Director: Jonathan Levine
- Writer: Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, Jonathan Levine
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
- Tagline: “Their past, present and future. All in one night.”
The film is a mixed bag, and that is the honest assessment. It is a worthy entry in the holiday comedy canon, even if it does not reach the heights of its ambitions.
The Night Before is available to watch now, and it holds up as a decent holiday watch. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a solid one.
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