Movie Review – The Spy Who Dumped Me

Let’s face it, the spy/comedy genre isn’t exactly littered with high quality films. The genre leans on the fantasy of what it’s like when average people become enveloped in an international crisis…so we can eject ourselves from the drudgery of everyday life and fantasize about a life unplugged from the conventions of society.

That’s the situation Audrey (Mila Kunis) and Morgan (Kate McKinnon) find themselves in. They are two individuals, very different from each other, who support each other like sisters. It’s basically a bro-mance for women. (A sis-mance?)

Not to knock Mila or Kate as actors, but they didn’t have to act much to pull this one off. It’s obvious they are really crazy close friends in real life. (LA Times: Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon play a more real female friendship for laughs in ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’).

Where The Spy Who Dumped Me shines is exploring how two friends can support each other into concurring unbelievable obstacles. The creators clearly wanted to create a narrative of female support and empowerment, and kudos to them for not making it painful to watch. During the movie I never felt the subplot of exploring how women solve their own problems, sans men, was forced.

What I find unique about this movie is that an external force introduces the two friends to the situation, but they decide to jump in anyway. They’re not dragged into it and then abandoned to their fate. They walk in willingly. And on top of that, they go in alone. There have no one to lean on, or trust, but themselves.

Everyone who goes to see this movie is probably only hoping for a few hours of crazy action, a few laughs…followed by a little day-dreaming of what we’d do if we were surreptitiously tossed into a real life drama of running around Europe — fighting and fleeing — from international terror networks. However, I think the real takeaway this movie provides is the alternative narrative that inspires us to ask: could I be as supportive to my friends and family in a situation like this?

We may not be able to live the life of a spy, unplugged from the conventions of society, but we can live a life where we create inspiring relationships with those we are closest to. It’s not often that a silly spy/comedy movie can actually give us attainable fantasies to strive for.

Grade: B+

About the Peetimes:
I found 2 good Peetimes that didn’t have any humor or action — which is really the best parts of the movie.

As silly as this movie is, there is some character development here, and there that makes the relationships meaningful. That’s why I would recommend the 1st Peetime over the 2nd: because the 2nd has a tiny bit of character development.

The Spy Who Loved, Shagged, and Dumped Me