Naked (2017)

Naked (2017)

Nervous about finally getting married, a guy is forced to relive the same nerve-wracking hours over and over again until he gets things right on his wedding day. Naked, a Netflix original film, is directed by Mike Tiddes (A Haunted House 1 and 2, Fifty Shades of Black) and stars Marlon Wayans (White Chicks, A Haunted House 1 and 2, Fifty Shades of Black). Rob Anderson (Marlon Wayans) is all set to marry the girl of his dreams, but can't quite get to the altar. Every time he comes close, he finds himself waking up naked in his hotel elevator, forced to relive the beginning of his wedding day over and over again.

Rating: NR

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Directed By: Michael Tiddes

Written By: Marlon Wayans, Rick Alvarez, Cory Koller

On Disc/Streaming: Aug 11, 2017

Studio: Netflix

Tiddes never leans into the insanity of his concept in a way that makes it work. Believe it or not, it's too boring. Let's place the blame where it squarely belongs: on the moronic premise. Groundhog Day but he's naked? Why? The film clearly does not care about establishing a realistic world. The fact that "Naked" isn't "A Haunted House 3" is cause for celebration, but that doesn't magically make the new movie funny or particularly sweet. Lowbrow farce with action, swearing, and partial nudity. When there's no more room left in multiplexes, the low-budget comedies will walk the Netflix. Barely marketed. Primed for low exposure in the dog days of summer. The film besmirches the reasons that Groundhog Day's Möbius-strip construction worked. Netflix hasn't had the greatest track record for releasing original films. I'm just being honest here, but I truly believe they need to choose better projects in terms of film. Naked is one of their latest outings, and while it's not a train wreck by any means, it's not all that good either. When it comes to comedies (or any genre of film for that matter) it really needs to be worth watching from start to finish. The issues with this movie is the fact that there are some standout moments, but just as many moments that fall flat. Here is why Naked may actually be worth your time for a few laughs, but you won't be wanting to revisit it afterwards. From Groundhog Day to recent releases like Before I Fall, the idea of having someone relive events has become somewhat of a trend lately. While this idea seems to be overdone, just look at home may times other premises have been done even more. Personally, this aspect definitely didn't bother me too much, so I was just hoping for a few laughs. Following Rob as he is reliving the morning of hid wedding over and over again, he utilizes the time to win over the approval of his soon-to-be father-in-law and learns to be a better man than he was before the marriage. On its surface, this plot sounds generic, and while it most certainly is, it has its moments. The jokes throughout this movie are very hit-or-miss, but the jokes that do hit work very well. I found myself chuckling pretty hard at some of the scenarios, so that's enough props to give this film a mild recommendation. Aside from that aspect, a lot of the humour also falls flat, making for a few awkward sequences as well.

Naked is a very inconsistent film with dumb plot points and an incredibly predictable conclusion, which sort of takes away from the comedy that does work, but I'm not going to be too picky about a film like this. This is a comedy that sets out to deliver a few solid jokes, having nothing deeper or larger to gawk at. For these reasons and more, it's fine for what it is. Movies of this nature can earn a pass for feeling repetitive, as long as the payoff is worth the wait, but Naked heavily suffers from this element. Right down to reusing some of the same footage over and over again in order to show that the day is repeating, I found certain tactics and editing choices to be quite lazily done throughout the majority of this movie. Still, the continuity is really what matters in the end, and I didn't find myself nitpicking that aspect very much. Each time I begin to speak about a poor element that this film had to offer, I can also come up with a positive, so I'm very torn overall. In the end, I can recommend this film to anyone who is out for a few cheap gags, but I would just as quickly tell them to avoid it. Naked is the type of film that people will have no recollection of it ever being made, but it'll be a nice watch for a few laughs on a rainy day. It has a few great gags, some pretty terrible ones, a plot that feels forced for its inevitable conclusion, even though it works, and the film as a whole feels like it was made in order to employ these very talented actors/actresses. I'm a big fan of both Marlon Wayans and Regina Hall when they're at their best, and while they do deliver some fine performances here, they're just not given enough to work with. Overall, Naked is the type of movie that works just as much as it doesn't. It's hard to warrant a recommendation, but you won't hate yourself for watching it.

I liked the movie, not for its originality or anything just for the sake that it had some funny moments in it so I would give the movie a 3/5.