There are oddball movies that are genuinely funny, leaning into eccentric premises. Bubble & Squeak
attempts to be one of those movies, and, to be sure, it is occasionally funny, but there’s a sense of detachment from the narrative and what it’s trying to accomplish that put me off. Written and directed by Evan Twohy, Bubble & Squeak was introduced as a film that would make us forget the world and its troubles, but the laughs promised were few and far between. An outrageous premise and unconventional dialogue may sound good on paper, but it’s surprisingly shallow despite its core story having depth.

Bubble & Squeak Has A Lot Of Energy & A Great Cast

But There’s Not Much Else To Recommend It

Declan (Himesh Patel) and Dolores (Sarah Goldberg) are a recently married couple who go on their honeymoon to a fictional European country in a bid to do something different from their other couple friends, who are swimming with jellyfish in Bora Bora. But their relaxing honeymoon vacation is abruptly halted when they’re pulled aside by a customs officer (Steven Yeun, in a comical opening scene that works in a way the rest of the film doesn’t). They’re asked if they — or another American couple they know — has smuggled cabbages into the country.

You see, cabbages were outlawed after the country’s war, in which they ate a lot of it, and anyone smuggling it faces dire consequences from Yeun’s stern boss, Shazbor (Matt Berry), who threatens to cut off the couple’s fingers, among other things. Bubble & Squeak then becomes a runaway adventure that forces Declan and Dolores to ᴀssess what they really want and how that affects their marriage and compatibility. That sounds like a film that would have more heart than it does, and that’s ultimately the downfall of the film amid a myriad of other troubles.

The cast is game at every turn, approaching Twohy’s script with a commitment that surpᴀsses the quality of the film. Bubble & Squeak is bursting with undeniable energy, which is primarily what sustains its pacing even as things grow tired and repeтιтive. The film attempts to use the cabbage problem to unmask the issues Darcy and Declan have failed to properly address. Declan is the more serious of the two while Darcy is far more whimsical; she wants more adventure and spontaneity in her life while Declan enjoys having stability and doing daily life activities, like saving for a lawn mower.

Bubble & Squeak’s Genuinely Funny Moments Are Few

Cabbages Can Only Be So Comedic

The two couldn’t be more different. But the problem is the film doesn’t treat them like they’re very smart. They have their moments, Declan especially with his planning, but it’s hard to get behind the wacky plot when the characters lack much depth. The issues they have are all too real, but when I stepped back and really thought about the film as a whole, the contrivance of the cabbages — and Darcy’s unwillingness to admit to Declan that she smuggled cabbages into the country — is its biggest weakness. It’s what drives the plot but it’s also what hinders it.

I initially laughed at the absurdity of a country being so offended by cabbages, but creating an entire movie around this very conflict undermines the film and makes it less interesting simply because it overstays its welcome. Bubble & Squeak would have worked better as a short film. As it stands, the film feels much longer than it actually is and, no matter what obstacles Declan and Darcy face or who they come across in the forest — including a fun turn from Dave Franco, who plays a fellow cabbage smuggler hiding in a bear suit — it doesn’t make up for the lack of fun.

Whimsy can only take a movie so far and this one is far too drawn out to maintain intrigue beyond the first few scenes. After that, it just starts to feel taper off and fast. The cast puts in a great effort and the cinematography is lovely, capturing the vastness and beauty of the forest. There is the occasionally funny moment but Bubble & Squeak is ultimately a test of true patience.

Bubble & Squeak premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.