The Bubble review: Judd Apatow's lockdown comedy misses the comedy 

Judd Apatow marked his return to comedy with his latest Netflix release, The Bubble.

The lockdown mockumentary revolved around a group of actors stuck inside a pandemic bubble while shooting their film, Cliff Beasts 6: The Battle for Everest: Memories of a Requiem. The film included the best of Hollywood but failed to actually give its best.

It's now time to dive in and dissect the mock-comedy.

Note: This article contains spoilers and reflects the writer's opinions.

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The Bubble: A review

Judd Apatow's lockdown comedy, The Bubble, burst its bubble pretty early as the comedy missed the point of actually being funny. The film opens with "In the early days of the pandemic, there was a content shortage… this is the story of the making of ‘Cliff Beasts 6,’ and the brave people who fought heroically to bring distractions to humanity" setting the tone for the mockumentary.

The Bubble is definitely not written brilliantly, the film serves as a constant reminder of the hardships faced by everyone during the Covid-19 pandemic, which automatically makes the film un-funny. Although the film had a star-studded cast with definite diversification, it still felt forced together.

Things were never really looking up for the film, right from the start when the unruly bunch of actors were locked in together in a hotel due to Covid restrictions, which also made filming difficult. The film-within-a-film feels became more prominent with the extension of the shoot period and additional security measures. However, the film also shed light on the unprofessional behavior and impossible work schedules actors face on a daily basis, giving push to a conversation starter.

Apatow also made sure to shed light on the green screen-driven filmmaking culture that has taken over Hollywood, leading to films that have little-to-no story and lots of after effects. While trying to highlight the 'wrongs' in Hollywood, he forgot that the film is a mockumentary commenting on how disconnected celebrities can be.

Apatow has given viewers several cult films in the past along with brilliant actors, but his attempt at this pandemic comedy fell short of expectations. Coming to Pedro Pascal, who stepped out of his comfort zone, made sure to make the film with almost no humor, which is actually laughable. As for Keegan-Michael Key, who is known for his sense of humor and comedic performances, did not really bring anything new to the table.

Besides being a sad little reminder of the pandemic,The Bubble fails to hold interest, having no peak moments or a clear end note. However, Apatow's attempts to scramble something positive out of a bad situation is commendable, as well as his use of new comic talents from around the world.

The Bubble is now streaming on Netflix.