Hot Mess Holiday

Didn't know what to expect. Saw a commercial for this and thought the two girls were funny so I tuned in. I'm not familiar with the Indian holiday Diwali nor as a white male can I completely identify with the issues these women are going through, but I have to say this was actually really funny. Found myself chuckling throughout - solid comedic timing of the two leads, but also the rest of the cast and cameos were hilarious. Sharp writing, great pacing. Just an enjoyable watch.

Melanie Chandra and Surina Jindal spread some humor and heart in this very funny holiday romp that starts off on Diwali and very quickly derails into a diamond-caper, putting our two heroines in the wrong place at the wrong time, and escalating into a series of bizzarely funny and troublesome events.

The equally funny supporting cast includes Punam Patel, Nick Dodani, Aparna Nancherla, Ravi Patel, Richa Moorjani, Chris Gere, Lilly Singh, Kunal Dudheker, Ritesh Rajan, Desmond Chan, Chris Parnell, Titus Burgess, and Kal Penn in a funny cameo role.

As an Indian it was great to see the movie provide a rich diverse tapestry of South Asian characters with uniquely quirky and idiosyncratic personalities that provides an overall comedic tone that doesn't rely on stereotypes and Indian accents for cheap laughs, or generic stories about arranged marriages as filler plot--which is no surprise since this movie made by South Asians (Hollywood...take note) Okay rant over.

Overall I enjoyed this movie and I hope to see more comedies starring South Asians. Surina and Mel...you deserve your own show and I want to see more adventures!

Hot Mess Holiday is the buddy comedy that the world desperately needed. In genuinely hilarious performances from a star-studded ensemble cast, the holiday comedy delivers hilarious moments consistently from start to finish. The intelligently written, and consistent laugh inducing script paired an all-too-real buddy adventure comedy with a holiday classic vibes!

Hot Mess Holiday is a fresh take in a genre of comedy that desperately needed a refresher! Melanie and Surina play off of each other authentically, and the plot driven script keeps the audience guessing on what will happen next, from start to finish. The cast compliments each other nicely, with versatility and impeccable comedic timing!

Whether you're South Asian or not, it doesn't matter, this movie is about adventure, friendship, and finding the courage to be yourself! The honesty of the story will keep audience members looking for a genuine story thoroughly entertained. If you love intelligently written adventure comedies with characters that make you laugh from your belly, well this movie is for you! If you buddy comedies, or love the holiday feels, or just want to feel the feels, then this movie is also for you!

Beautiful cast, unique story line, relatable moments (aunties asking about marital status), random things thrown in that make it anything but predicable...really a cute, entertaining movie. Keep at it!

With a virtually all Indian cast and crew, every Indian trope and caricature is here. Set during Diwali (a floating holiday that occurs in late October or early November) we still see Christmas decorations. Really? And the weather is all wrong as well. It has much energy, and the two female leads are pretty (esp. Melanie, a total smoke show) but this project is mostly slapstick, with not much new in the genre. Hey, it's a fun romp, and a change from all the usual holiday films, but it's not going to be a breakout moment for our two leading ladies. Try again.