Filmmakers Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have been accused of plenty of crimes against cinema in their careers, so one might not think that their latest effort, Best Night Ever, would necessarily hold much surprise. As the writer-directors behind slapdash spoofs like Date Movie, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans and others — overwhelmingly critically panned, all — they’ve traded in creatively bankrupt, stick-poke, air-quote satire for more than a half-dozen years.



And yet Best Night Ever is notable, in that it’s essentially the duo’s first nominally original, non-directly-referential screenplay. So does the film, a wisp-thin, gender-inverted rip-off of The Hangover and Project X, open in forced-outrageous fashion, with auto-tuned synth music and the black-barred member of a male stripper flopping about in circles? Yes, yes it does. And it’s almost entirely downhill from there.

What’s right about Best Night Ever pretty much begins and ends with the cast. The four lead actresses here have an across-the-board likeability and genuine rapport; each inhabit the broad constructs of their disparate, clashing personalities with aplomb, and bring a lot of energy to the proceedings. Unfortunately, after just a bit of early promise, Friedberg and Seltzer’s film quickly settles into a groove that is manic, nonsensical and yet also familiar. For the full, original review, from ShockYa, click here. In addition to its theatrical engagements, Best Night Ever is also available on iTunes and across VOD platforms. (Magnet Releasing, R, 82 minutes)