Ride or Die: Frothy, fluffy summer stuff
August is flying by, and summer will sooner or later be a memory. Don’t let the season go by without doing something that fits the height of the season.
That could mean a bit more barbecue than is healthy, a ridiculous looking drink, and on the television, something silly yet satisfying.
My vote for that last one goes to Ride or Die, a buddy series that matches Octavia Spencer with Hannah Waddingham, as unlikely friends in London. The catch is that Waddingham is an assassin for an unnamed secret service, and Spencer — an antique hunter who buried her law career (!) to marry a bland yet ambitious British politician (!!) — has no clue.
Shots get fired. Villains emerge. Adventures ensue.
It’s all over-the-top nonsense, and it knows it. Ride or Die in fact knowingly cribs from numerous sources, from James Bond action sequences (car chases, skiers who shoot while racing down by luxurious mountain resorts), to all sorts of buddy road trip comedies. There are also allusions to spy thrillers, action movies and other genres. So, in one turn after another, you get a whiff of Midnight Run or The Heat here, Atomic Blonde or Red Sparrow there.
The allusions come so quickly, and seemingly so deliberately, that I’m inclined to think it was part of the design. If the Thelma and Louise easter eggs were not obvious enough all along, there’s even a hand-clench scene involving a cliffside race. Subtle!
With loads of buddy-movie antecedents, Ride or Die also has some supporting cast worth watching. Sylvia Hoeks kind of steals the show as Ana, a competing assassin. There’s also Bill Nighy, this time in icy creep territory, as the spy boss, Ed Skrein as a crime boss with himbo tendencies, and Cathy Tyson standing out as a shop owner who is the closest thing to a Q in this universe.
Ride or Die is on Prime. I want to be clear: this is not finely made fare. It’s meant to be a popcorn watch on the couch. I’m sure it would be entertaining to watch in the chillier months of fall, but honestly, it struck just the right chord for this summer.