Film Review: SPA WEEKEND (2026): A Lot of Fun Energy from a Well-Assembled Cast Saves This Comedy

Spa Weekend Review

Spa Weekend (2026) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and starring Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau, Anna Faris, John Quested, Tim Ross, Lauren Dillon, Robert Coleby, Sierra Rose, Everly Graves, Juliet Sargent, Quinn Aune, Matthew Jarzyna, Felix Williamson, Dominic Ona-Ariki, AliBasoka and Diana Glenn.  

Spa Weekend takes a somewhat threadbare storyline and thrives, thanks to the charisma of a mostly female cast that simply cannot be beat. Filmmakers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore have employed four great talents for the lead roles in this new movie, and the actresses are up to the task of juggling the comic moments and integrating a few serious ones into the mix as well.

Leslie Mann plays Jane, a lawyer who is asked out on a date by the guy who she just defeated in court. Jane takes out her calendar and tries to book a future appointment that is too far away for the gentleman’s liking. Jane needs a break, so when she’s given the opportunity to take a spa weekend with her friends, she seizes the chance.

Michelle Buteau is Coco, who we meet arguing with her ex over the new woman he has on the passenger side of his car. It appears that Coco upsets her daughter with her vulgarity and Coco starts re-evaluating whether or not she’s doing things the correct way in her life. She, too, is headed for that spa weekend.

Anna Faris plays Sophie, a woman who works too hard and has a very spoiled boss. She’s all too eager to take the spa weekend with Jane and Coco. There’s the pesky matter of a fourth friend, though. Her name is Mel and is played by Isla Fisher. Mel will soon end up joining the pack even though she can be the most frustrating person to deal with, well, sometimes.

When the four ladies come together, the movie often makes magic. This film helps itself out considerably by revealing the leads’ characters as kids at the start and each actress matches her younger counterpart to a tee. As an adult Jane, Mann has her edgy humor that works well for the plot as Jane tries to find the ability to just go with the flow and have a good time. Buteau is over-the-top at times, but has a great amount of scenes in which she nails the comic timing. Buteau possesses a tremendous amount of energy that she ably brings to the role.

Faris is OK, but her work is the least strong of the four top performances of the film as she seems to be less funny when compared to the turns of the other three comic powerhouse actresses. Isla Fisher gives off a hysterical vibe on-screen as the woman of the bunch who pulls out all the stops and gets everyone in more trouble than they bargained for over the course of the movie.

This film is partly about the lessons that the main characters will learn in life. Mann’s character will become more flexible, Buteau’s will start to see the error of her ways in terms of how she judges her ex, Faris’ character will learn to be free for a change while Fisher’s just gets all of the movie’s wildest scenes and rocks them to the fullest as she learns that friendship is everything, no matter how she was perceived by the others initially.

Where Spa Weekend succeeds is in the strength of the characterizations, which is provided more by the fine actresses on hand than the script itself. Though the script has some good observations about life, the main actresses completely embody their roles with zest and the casting of the film is simply inspired.

This film is far from perfect, but is perfectly enjoyable nevertheless. Sometimes it feels that Anna Faris’ character gets lost in the shuffle. That’s unfortunate for her, because the actress really has a lot of fun on-screen in the background. Faris just can’t compete with the scene-stealing likes of Mann, Buteau and Fisher, no matter how hard she tries. Faris has always been best as a lead in movies like What’s Your Number? and making her part of an ensemble sadly might not have been the best decision.

Usually, outtakes at the film’s end seem like a desperate plea for last-minute laughs, but the outtakes of Spa Weekend are quite humorous. Mel has some of the most interesting line deliveries of the movie in the outtakes and has a ball as she recites zany and wild lines that only the fearless Isla Fisher could probably get away with. One of them involves…oh just see the movie, it’s too crazy to reveal here.

Spa Weekend has some really big laughs that will keep most audiences who would go see this picture happy if they decide to see it in theaters. There are also a few life lessons to be found in the movie as well in regard to the importance of friendship and not letting one’s career override the more important aspects of life. Buteau is, perhaps, the movie’s brightest element even though Mann is almost equally as dedicated to her role. It is Fisher who goes “all-in,” though, for the most memorable comic performance of her career so far. Reason enough to buy a ticket, no?

Rating: 7/10

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