Awkwafina and Sandra Oh are a chaotic sisterly duo
Quiz Lady, a Hulu Original movie directed by Jessica Yu, stars Awkwafina as the anxiety-ridden Anne, who has been obsessed with a quiz show hosted by Terry McTeer (Will Ferrell) for as long as she can remember. When her mother’s gambling habit accumulates significant debt, Anne’s older and wilder sister, Jenny (Sandra Oh), pushes her to face her fears and go on the game show to win the cash prize.
As far as the comedy drama’s storyline, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. An underdog has to face her fear of performing in front of everyone, and zany mishaps complicate the journey. But what many of these kinds of films don’t have is the ineffable charm of Sandra Oh and the magnetic sisterly chemistry she displays with Awkwafina.
Will Ferrell, too, is just lovely in this part. It’s something in his eyes. (Or his various bowties.) He’s there, surprisingly, more for the emotional beats than the comical ones, playing the understated role of the sweet, fatherly, and very Mr. Rogers-like game show host.
In fact, it’s the emotional beats that Yu pulls off best, which has me hoping to see her direct a more serious drama next. That’s not to say there isn’t some charmingly funny slapstick here, even if Yu doesn’t always lean hard enough into the bit.
In short, Quiz Lady is goofy, chaotic fun. It’s also a sweet, but not too cloying, story about the bonds of sisterhood and the importance of having someone believe in you–especially if that someone is Sandra Oh.
Read More: Quiz Lady Ending Explained
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Verdict - 6.5/10
6.5/10