When I first saw “Gail Daughtry’s and the Celebrity Sex Pass” at Sundance 2026, it quickly became one of my favorite films of the festival. I was elated when Sony Pictures Classics picked up the film for distribution.
Watching it again months later, I wondered whether David Wain’s rapid-fire absurdity would remain as funny without the energy of a festival audience. Thankfully, the movie still holds up as an unapologetically silly and consistently inventive comedy.
Zoey Deutch stars as Gail, a cheerful Midwestern hairdresser whose seemingly stable engagement collapses when her fiancé takes their hypothetical “celebrity sex pass” far too literally. Determined to even the score, Gail heads to Los Angeles with her best friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) and one wildly impractical goal: to sleep with Jon Hamm.
Wain, who co-wrote the screenplay with longtime collaborator Ken Marino, understands that this premise cannot survive half-hearted commitment. The film races into a heightened version of Hollywood, filled with strange detours, celebrity egos, mistaken identities, and characters who act as though nonsense is perfectly reasonable. Fred Melamed’s narration immediately establishes a playful tone, while the story gradually reveals itself as an R-rated, self-aware take on *The Wizard of Oz*.
Deutsch is key to making any of it work. She plays Gail with bright-eyed sincerity, avoiding the portrayal of her as a clueless small-town stereotype. Gail may be naïve about Hollywood, but she is not foolish, and Deutch imbues her character with enough confidence and emotional grounding to prevent the movie from becoming an extended sketch. Gutierrez-Riley brings warmth and sharp timing to the role of Otto, while Marino, John Slattery, and Ben Wang understand how to play broadly without overwhelming the story. Wang, in particular, shines, showcasing his versatility across genres.
Not every joke lands, and the movie occasionally becomes so enamored with its cameos and inside-Hollywood references that Gail’s emotional journey gets sidelined. Some supporting characters feel more like setups for punchlines than fully realized people, and the relentless pace leaves little room for sharper ideas about betrayal, celebrity worship, and romantic double standards to develop.
Still, Wain and Marino know precisely what kind of comedy they are creating. *Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass* is ridiculous, raunchy, and knowingly artificial, but it also has genuine affection for its heroine. It stayed with me because beneath all the chaos is a woman who refuses to remain a supporting character in her own life. Sundance audiences embraced that journey, and months later, I still do.
Final Grade: B+
“Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” is in theaters now
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