Before Oscar-winning filmmaker Jessica Yu (Citadel, In Treatment) came on to direct Hulu’s latest comedy outing written by Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics, Hocus Pocus 2), Awkwafina and Sandra Oh were already on board as leading ladies and producers, along with Will Ferrell. Needless to say, joining the project was a no-brainer. Yu told AWFJ that what also attracted her was the story because, “We don’t really see that many comedies about sisters,” let alone Asian-American sisters.
As a kid, Anne Yum (Awkwafina) was obsessed with the Jeopardy-like game show Can’t Stop the Quiz hosted by the lovable, bowtie-wearing Terry McTeer (Will Ferrell). It was her go-to escape when her parents were fighting and her older sister was occupied being an extroverted teenager.
As an adult, watching the show is crucial to Anne’s everyday life, which is otherwise spent clocking in and out of her accounting job in a drab office filled with annoying co-workers and getting yelled at by her constantly crabby neighbor, Francine (Holland Taylor). But a crucial element to the daily viewing is having her precious old pug, Mr. Linguini (Crosby Cookie), lying by her side.
This simple, solitary life gets upended when her swindling mother flees a nursing home, an incident that becomes an unexpected family reunion. In contrast to her sensible, mundane baby sister, Jenny (Sandra Oh) leads a chaotic, messy life, always following a new dream or entrepreneurial pursuit. Her arrival requires her to crash on Anne’s couch since she may or may not (but most likely is) living out of her car. Jenny’s not a total nuisance, but she’s boisterous enough to disrupt Anne’s decidedly calm and tidy environment.
Costume designer Brenda Abbandandolo (CODA) outfits the sisters in conflicting color palettes to further show just how different they are from each other. Jenny’s wardrobe isn’t overly revealing but it’s nowhere near modest (there’s an early aughts velour tracksuit vibe). It’s obvious that she dresses a little younger than her actual age and at times, the amount of color and accessories screams Disney Channel tween. Her vibrant look contrasts nicely against Anne’s strictly beige and gray fits, the embodiment of SNL’s Fashion Coward skit.
The sisters discover their mom isn’t just on an impromptu vacation, she’s skipping out on a large debt acquired through her longtime gambling problem. The guy trying to track down the money, Ken (Jon ‘Dumbfoundead’ Park), dognaps Mr. Linguini as collateral and it’s up to them to somehow pay an $80,000 ransom.
Jenny has the brilliant idea to record Anne’s encyclopedic knowledge in action and turns her into an overnight internet phenomenon, making her a shoo-in to get on the beloved quiz show and win big. It’s also an opportunity for Jenny to force Anne to step into the spotlight, any spotlight, to get out of her introverted game-show-and-chill shell.
On top of overcoming her crippling social anxiety, Anne also needs to take out the smarmy Ron Heacock (Jason Schwartzman), the current champion of Can’t Stop the Quiz who lays the faux humbleness on thick. The overly spray-tanned menace with distractingly white teeth is determined to keep up his winning streak. He’s seemingly one of the “villains” of the film (second to Linguini’s captor) and Schwartzman thrives in these roles.
The always enjoyable Tony Hale plays a Ben Franklin impersonator running a not-so-historically-accurate inn, something Jenny can’t help but point out to him multiple times. Though some may be reminded of his popular Alex Trebek impression on SNL, Ferrell’s Terry McTeer is a much livelier host whose sincere kindness lies somewhere between Buddy the Elf and Mr. Rogers.
Given Awkwafina and Oh’s previous work, audiences expect the wild sister-reserved sister dynamic to be reversed. They’re not exactly playing against those roles because they’ve each proven their talents in multiple genres, though the physical comedy may be outside of Oh’s usual comedic roles. Anne and Jenny’s complicated, somewhat dysfunctional sibling relationship is the emotional core of the film and these powerhouse actresses expertly propel the film forward with their natural chemistry.
There’s one bizarre, funny, and genuinely sad incident from their past that comes up a couple of times. I won’t spoil the details because it’s the most unexpected element of the film and you deserve to experience it for yourself. Other genuinely amusing moments involve Anne’s relatable awkwardness, some of Jenny’s dramatics, and almost all of Ron’s attempts to impress Terry. One thing that’s abundantly clear is how much fun the cast had making the film, adding to the overall endearing quality.
Quiz Lady tells a unique story about two sisters with opposing personalities brought together by gambling debts, a game show, and shared childhood trauma. Not all of the jokes land in this by-the-numbers broad comedy, but the spirited performances of the fantastic ensemble cast make it a winner worthy of a casual watch.
20th Century Studios’ Quiz Lady premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and will begin streaming Nov 3 on Hulu.
