Way back in 2014, we learned that Adam Sandler had signed an exclusive deal to produce and release his next four films via Netflix. Over the next four years, these releases arrived like clockwork: first there was the odious The Ridiculous Six, an aggressively unfunny western-comedy featuring Taylor Lautner (look, 2015 was a different time). Then came The Do-Over, a spy-comedy which allowed Sandler and David Spade to spend a few weeks in Hawaii together. Then there was Sandy Wexler, a film that's been completely forgotten about outside of Irony Twitter. It has not been a great run.
Now we have The Week Of, starring Sandler and Chris Rock as two mismatched fathers whose children are about to tie the knot. We were bracing ourselves for the fourth and final Sandler/Netflix jam to be more of the same, but - believe it or not - The Week Of seems like it could be an actual movie.
Take a look at the first trailer.
OK, so we're not exactly roaring with laughter, but there's some fun interplay happening here between Rock and Sandler, and we're encouraged that the trailer doesn't contain a single joke built around farts, boners or extensive screaming. The Week Of looks noticeably cheaper than Sandler's last three Netflix joints, but it also looks like it could be the most substantive film this partnership has produced yet. Interesting.
Here's the official plot synopsis:
"The comedy tells the story of two fathers who are polar opposites (Adam Sandler and Chris Rock) and the dysfunctional hilarity that ensues when their families come together to celebrate the wedding of their children. They are forced to spend the longest week of their lives together and the big day could not come soon enough."
Will The Week Of be worth a damn? It would be foolish to give it the full benefit of the doubt, but we will probably give it at least 30min to win us over when it hits Netflix on April 27th. Stay tuned for more on The Week Of as further updates become available.