Vacation Friends parents guide

Vacation Friends Parent Guide

If you are offended by profanity, crass sexual content, or drug use, this movie is definitely not for you.

Overall D

Hulu: While on vacation in Mexico, a straightlaced couple befriend a pair of thrill-seekers. They devote a week to debauchery, the results of which become clear when the wild couple crash the wedding of their erstwhile friends.

Release date August 27, 2021

Violence B
Sexual Content D
Profanity D
Substance Use D

Why is Vacation Friends rated R? The MPAA rated Vacation Friends R for drug content, crude sexual references, and language throughout

Run Time: 104 minutes

Parent Movie Review

While on vacation in Mexico, straightlaced Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) and Emily (Yvonne Orji) meet Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner), a wild, thrill-seeking couple with no boundaries when it comes to having a good time. Seeing an opportunity to loosen up, Marcus and Emily engage in a week of uninhibited debauchery, with every intention of never seeing Ron and Kyla again. Months later, Ron and Kyla unexpectedly crash Marcus and Emily’s wedding, leading to a weekend no one will ever forget.

I’ll save you, dear reader, a few minutes of your time by starting off simply: if you are in any way sensitive to profanity, sexual content, and/or drug use, I give you permission to simply stop reading and move on with your life because this movie is not for you.

For those of you who are a little more permissive as far as objectionable content goes, Vacation Friends is a decent comedy. There are some good laughs here and there, held together primarily by John Cena’s comedic talents, of which the world is, thankfully, becoming aware. The story also has a surprising amount of heart, which surprised me, but is not unwelcome. The production value is high, which is reflected in the acting, directing, writing, and even in the set designs. If you have absolutely no qualms around the afore mentioned negative content, you might find this raunchy film entertaining.

To be completely clear, however, this is not a film that most audiences will want to see. Vacation Friends is very much a hard R production. There is almost constant profanity, sexual innuendo, drinking, and drug use. A major plot point revolves around a possible inebriated sexual encounter. For most viewers, especially those of you who care enough about content issues to frequent our website, the level of objectionable content is going to be far too high to be an enjoyable experience. I suggest living your life to the fullest and finding something else to watch.

Directed by Clay Tarver. Starring Lil Rel Howery, Meredith Hagner, John Cena, Yvonne Orji. Running time: 104 minutes. Theatrical release August 27, 2021. Updated

Vacation Friends
Rating & Content Info

Why is Vacation Friends rated R? Vacation Friends is rated R by the MPAA for drug content, crude sexual references, and language throughout

Violence: A man has a gun that he uses to shoot a beer bottle off another man’s head. A man threatens to beat up another man. A man is seemingly attacked by a fox. A man chokes another man until he loses consciousness. A man punches someone in the face. Multiple characters get into a fist fight.
Sexual Content: Adult couples kiss. There are jokes about erections, sexual acts, and genitalia. A man’s butt is shown. Women are shown straddling a man and thrusting while he is semi-conscious. A woman talks explicitly about her partner’s semen. 
Profanity: Bad language of all levels is found in high amounts. This includes approximately 40 sexually obscene terms, over 20 uses of terms of deity, and somewhere in the vicinity of 80 moderate and mild expletives. Jokes about erections and genitalia are also heard.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Adult characters are shown drinking in excess to the point of losing consciousness. Adults smoke marijuana in multiple scenes. Adults use cocaine, some without knowing it. Characters joke about smuggling drugs. Two men unintentionally ingest hallucinogenic mushrooms and are shown tripping out.

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Vacation Friends Parents' Guide

Why is Ron so desperate to be friends with Marcus? What does his grief drive him to do? What are some healthier ways to deal with grief?

Home Video

Related home video titles:

There are plenty of vacation movies about relationships. In Downhill, a couple become painfully aware of the cracks within their marriage. A young woman heads to Italy with her fiancé, only to meet someone else in Letters to Juliet. In The Holiday, two lovelorn women swap houses over the Christmas season and both find themselves meeting someone new.