‘Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass’ Review: We’re Off to Hump the Wizard
We’re off to hump the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Jon!
That should’ve been a line in Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, the latest spoof comedy from David Wain, co-written with his frequent funny-man collaborator Ken Marino. Unlike Wain’s prior spoof-centric works, such as They Came Together and, of course, Wet Hot American Summer, which riffed on specific genre films, Gail Daughtry is simply a Tinseltown spin on The Wizard of Oz. Imagine that premise, but if the Kansas girl wanted to fuck her celebrity crush, Jon Hamm. What a mad idea…..man. Its execution may seem like a far cry from his sillier stuff, especially for Wainheads (is that his fanbase name? I hope so). However, it’s still a buoyant, entertaining, and oftentimes hysterical romp in the goofiest way imaginable.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
MPA Rating: R (for sexual content, violence/bloody images and language)
Runtime: 1 Hour and 33 Minutes
Language: English
Production Companies: Likely Story, Oval 5
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: David Wain
Screenwriters: David Wain, Ken Marino
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang, Michael Cassidy, Sabrina Impacciatore, Joe Lo Truglio, Fred Melamed
U.S Release Date: July 10, 2026
Kansas hairdresser Gail Daughtry (Zoey Deutch) is about to marry the love of her life, Tom (Michael Cassidy), until she catches him redeeming his celebrity sex pass in real time. Furious, she takes her best friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) up on his offer to join him on a weekend hairstylist expo in LA to clear her head. After a psychic’s (Kerri Kenney-Silver) advice, Gail decides to even the score by cashing in her own pass on Jon Hamm. But her Hollywood adventure is fraught with obstacles. Soon she and Otto are joined by an agent-in-training, a photographer, and John Slattery to get the wonderful wizard of Jon to fuck Gail before the weekend’s over. Meanwhile, a wicked criminal, Ludovica (Sabrina Impacciatore), sends her henchmen (Joe Lo Truglio and Mather Zickel) to kill Gail after their similar suitcases get mixed up at LAX.
Oz but make it Hollywood.
MILES GUTIERREZ-RILEY as Otto, JOHN SLATTERY as himself, BEN WANG as Caleb, KEN MARINO as Vincent, ZOEY DEUTCH as Gail Daughtry in ‘Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass’ Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
If you’re older than 35, you’re familiar with David Wain’s absurd sense of humor. Gail Daughtry leans more toward Wet Hot American Summer, or They Came Together, with tons of stupid, outrageous gags, slapstick humor, and never for a moment takes itself seriously. It operates on the same whimsy as Dorothy skipping with her friends down the yellow-brick road, but tailored for an R-rated crowd. Yes, a fork found in the kitchen for any Wainhead, yet this level of comedy is completely absent in today’s theatrical market. In contrast to Wain’s aforementioned titles, Gail, despite being “a joke a second,” does not fully capitalize on its irreverence. Part of that stems from adhering to its source structure. Additionally, several bits and gags that might have seemed funnier on paper or during shooting are instead long-winded, occasionally falling flat, with clunky editing that impedes the comedic rhythm. Nevertheless, by default, it’s the funniest movie of the summer, but I’ll happily dub it as such because it’s as painstakingly hilarious as it is gloriously stupid.
Wain’s Wizard of Oz love is evident in every story beat and detail, from the clever spin on LA locations to Gail’s sparkling red Converse shoes. Part of the fun is how it retains the film’s overall upbeat, energetic nature, sometimes making me wish Wicked were as fun (and colorful). It certainly plays better for any viewer who has been to LA, appreciates showbiz humor, or is in the industry. Wain takes advantage of translating Oz’s signature locations against Hollywood and even the presence of his recognizable stars in their character roles in real LA settings. There’s something so funny about the Emerald Royal Palace of Oz LA equivalent simply being the Chateau Marmont, or an in-character Joe Lo Truglio being called Charles Doyle by a Brooklyn Nine-Nine fan, and him going, “I get that a lot.”
Everybody in Gail operates as brainless as Scarecrow (complimentary).
MILES GUTIERREZ-RILEY as Otto, JOHN SLATTERY as himself, BEN WANG as Caleb, KEN MARINO as Vincent, ZOEY DEUTCH as Gail Daughtry in ‘Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass’ Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Wainheads will be delighted to see his alums in cameos: Kerri Kenney-Silver, Michael Ian Black, Thomas Lennon, and supporting roles for Zickel and Truglio. A large portion of the cast are his homies. But with Deutch, Gutierrez-Riley, Wang, Slattery, Impacciatore, and yes, Hamm, it’s as if they’re being inducted into a new mad family. Wain and Marino are basically catching Pokémon and hoping they can hold onto the roster (by that logic, yes, Paul Rudd is a legendary Pokémon). The film is anchored by Zoey — everything everywhere all this summer with Voicemails From Isabelle to Minions & Monsters — Deutch in the Dorothy Gale role, exuding a high level of perkiness consistent with the character’s can-do, wide-eyed, midwestern charm and heart.
A major standout, Ben Wang finally gets to show off his comedic abilities, portraying a self-assured, quick-witted agent who makes me laugh every time he reveals his sheltered upbringing in snappy whines at every inconvenience. Sabrina Impacciatore, who has proven to be a comedic juggernaut in The Paper, is having so much fun hamming it up as the mob boss-esque wicked witch counterpart, torturing her henchmen and deliciously chewing up the scenery whenever onscreen. I don’t think they use her to the height of her comedic prowess, but she’s a delight nonetheless. John Slattery is the film’s comedic MVP. The way the writers use his over-the-top character for comedy is downright hilarious every time. They use him as either a punchline or a force of nature, and he’s great. This movie is like Mad Men propaganda, and by God, it works. As someone who’s never seen it, Gail allowed me a better appreciation for Slattery and Hamm.
Man, we don’t deserve Jon Hamm. This is the second time I’ve seen him play a silly, fictionalized version of himself this year (the other being the SXSW crowd-pleasing rom-com Wishful Thinking, which Gail distributor Sony Pictures Classics acquired), and he also voice-acted in his comedic Mayor Jerry role in Hoppers. Maybe working with Wain in 2007’s The Ten was the canon event, but I consider his weird little sex scene with Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids his awakening. Since then, I’ve only seen him as unserious, and it’s delightful. Oz-like in appearance, he’s funny and befitting the film’s overall light, joyful nature.
LAST STATEMENT
Ultimately, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is a campy, delightful romp that succeeds as both a distinctive Hollywood‑centric riff and a Wizard of Oz reimagining, retaining a loving, twisted, demented charm. It’s a weird description, but it’s so high‑spirited and light‑hearted despite being strangely ultraviolent. It might as well be a live‑action episode of Smiling Friends (RIP), yet it’s everything the theatrical market needs today. Ten years ago, this would’ve been a studio production rather than an indie Sundance acquisition, but thank God it exists for the big screen. More absurdist Gail Daughtrys for cinemas (not streaming), please, because this is the most fun to be had in a theater all summer, if not the year thus far.
