“The Wrong Girls” (2026) is for the moviegoer hankering for a stoner comedy where the two tripping dudes are ladies. Frankie (Kristen Stewart) and Molly (Alia Shawkat) are best friends and roommates who love to get high, which means not having a steady income and falling behind on rent. When Frankie mistakenly receives a briefcase with vials of a mysterious liquid, they decide to sell it and partake of the wares, which gives them telepathy with a side effect of telekinesis. A group of men dressed in white are trying to retrieve the vials and get them while Dave Barrad (LaKeith Stanfield) is trying to keep the pair safe and return the vials to the right people. Will they get their crap together and figure out how to get their lives on track and soluble? Dylan Meyer’s third writing feature and directorial debut will have niche appeal but may be too random for people not into the genre.
Stewart is really at hot maximum levels and appears to be having a blast. It may be because she is married to Meyer. Frankie ditched a conventional life with a lot of potential to live in the way that she wants. She is the only one who hates Molly’s easygoing, sweet and supportive boyfriend, Josh (Zack Fox), because she is possessive of Molly, and anyone in the audience waiting for her to realize that she is attracted to her, lower your hopes of either of them being lesbians. They are both heterosexual and just really good friends. No really. This warning is not akin to the academic fiercely wedded to heteronormativity. It is the plot. Frankie just had a breakup and gets a potential love interest before the end of “The Wrong Girls,” and both are dudes. Stewart has an inspired bit at a party when she talks with conviction about not going to a four year college while getting the palm of her hand smeared with food that she notices and tries to take off but not in a frenzied way.
Molly and her inner circle think of Molly as a culinary genius, but she does not want to work for a restaurant and prefers to do spreadsheets for companies when she remembers. It is so nice to see Shawkat onscreen with an awesome head of hair again, and costume designer Heidi Bivens sticks her in gag outfits that create the illusion of nudity. It is hard to imagine anyone giving Molly a job or how she ended up with Josh, but Shawkat pulls it together because she is a professional since childhood. Her former “Arrested Development” costar Tony Hale appears briefly, and when the roomies talk about attending his character’s party, it feels like a reference to “Blink Twice” (2024).
Because of the talented and charismatic ensemble cast, cinematographer Todd Banhazi’s psychedelic vibe and oceanic visual theme, which is far more instantly digestible than “Drive-Away Dolls” (2023) and is a consistent through line, and editor Kathryn J. Schubert’s sense of rhythm and logic, Meyer’s commitment to her vision do not go to waste and is as engrossing as it can be. Curiosity will keep you wondering what is next. Unfortunately, “The Wrong Girls” maybe better in a crowded theater because I got a screener, which means that I saw it at home. I rarely laughed out loud once even when comedic genius Kate McKinnon was onscreen. McKinnon is perfect casting since her role feels vaguely related to “Barbie” (2023) and “The Spy Who Dumped Me” (2018).
It is just a matter of taste because superficially “The Wrong Girls” has a lot of similarities with Boots Riley’s films, especially “I Love Boosters” (2026). Being surreal and high are not that different in terms of story logic and visuals, but different objectives govern the genres. Riley always has a political objective and delivers a poplitical statement for ordinary folk, so he has an easier time of making the plot cohesive and coalesce around his message though his most recent movie had more whimsy than clear direction. Meyer’s film is more like autofiction on acid with an incidental lesson about how if women had power or powers, the world would be a better place, which is a nice thought, but not true though their consistent application of their principles in extreme circumstances was endearing. The film’s climax results in a physics defying dance sequence, and a resolution involving Geena Davis as a high-level government official, but not the President (“Commander in Chief”) so it is a mixed bag with some benefits.
“The Wrong Girls” did have reliably hilarious moments. Kumail Nanjiani and Seth Rogan voice their cats, GG and Kai, who are high strung and opinionated bickerers. Honestly, maybe the biz called show should have learned its lesson with the uneven “Keanu” (2016), but’s lets spin this-off with a movie about the cats at home observing everything. The chill landlord, Jose (Chris Estrada), was immediately and consistently a guffawing delight. More Jose! There is a running joke about a door not closing, which was an unexpected joy because it seemed like a one and done joke. The sorrow of losing a favorite restaurant is so true. The needle drops hit the spot. Stanfield played the comedic straight man, but that can be the hardest job in a comedy.
There were small moments that were irritating. Do not pack brownies in the same bag as cats because they are allergic to chocolate, and their cute little fluffy paws will pierce the saran wrap thus contaminating the baked goodies. Also, the men dressed in white are Danish, and Dave says a line about clogs and windmills, which are associated with the Netherlands, but later corrects them and clearly knows the difference between Holland, which is a region in the Netherlands, and Denmark. As “The Wrong Girls” would say, “nerd alert.” There are some inconsistencies when it comes to their powers, but nothing too damning.
The biggest turn off in “The Wrong Girls” is the trope of the best friends facing the threat of a breakup. It is what makes “The Spy Who Dumped Me” (2018) the gold standard in women friendship comedies. Stewart and Shawkat have the chemistry and chops to pull it off without missing a beat, but it is one of the most aggravating features in women-led movies. People can imagine a world where potheads inherit the earth, but women cannot have a conflict free friendship. Even before they get telepathy, they can communicate wordlessly even when they are coughing (without being twins in “Is God Is”). Let’s hope that it is pulled from the reality of Meyer’s friendship with her friend and producer Maggie McLean, and if it is not, then next time, Meyer should stick to writing what she knows.
Still love is in the air on screen and off, and it is palpable, which saves “The Wrong Girls” from its flaws even if you find it disappointingly not as humorously as you hoped. Sometimes it is enough to know that the people who made the movie had a good time, and it would feel like kicking a puppy to yuck their yum (originally read that expression in the “Boston Phoenix,” but do not remember who coined it. Brilliant!). Stay for the credits which has tons of quirky composed cat photos and a post credit scene. If you do not have time to devote to an uneven comedy, there are apparently a handful of earlier stoner comedies with women at the forefront.
