Not only is The Spy Who Dumped Me a fun movie-going experience but it is proof that we should put any potential talk of introducing “Jane Bond” to rest. I mean, why build off an already established property when we have original female-centered spy films like The Spy Who Dumped Me that can become their own franchises? Even if this film isn’t perfect or anything groundbreaking, I’d still gladly watch a sequel should one get made.
The Spy Who Dumped Me follows the story of Audrey (Mila Kunis), a retail clerk who’s been dumped by her boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux) a year ago. But what she never knew is that Drew is a CIA agent and has been on the run since he broke up with her. Once he reappears in Audrey’s life and his secret life suddenly resurfaces, both Audrey and her best friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon) find themselves on the run across Europe. They also end up uncovering a sinister plot to take over the world.
Because it is a spy movie, there are the typical twists and turns that come with this genre. The typical “Who can you trust?” question is continuously asked while our main characters have to protect a flash drive that of course, contains lethal secrets. Interestingly, despite being a spy comedy, these plot points aren’t demonstrated in a self-referential manner. However, those tired clichés become incredibly easy to overlook thanks to the comedic efforts of the film’s leading ladies. As Audrey, Mila Kunis plays a perfect “straight man” while Kate McKinnon brilliantly portrays Morgan who is the broad comedic persona. In fact, as great as Kunis is, Kate McKinnon ends up being the real star of the show.
While Kate McKinnon may be killing it on Saturday Night Live, it feels like she’s been in search of that one great role to launch her into comedic movie stardom. She was the MVP of both Ghostbusters and Rough Night yet both films couldn’t quite keep up with her grand talents. But with The Spy Who Dumped Me, she’s definitely found the right vehicle that’s as good as she is. Practically every single line reading or facial expression she gives will have you laughing hysterically.
Both she and Kunis carry this film with ease. Although, they do have a solid supporting cast surrounding them. One particular standout is Gillian Anderson as Wendy, a straight-laced head of the British intelligence agency MI6. In fact, some of the film’s best scenes involve interactions between her and Kate McKinnon. Also, both Jane Curtin and Paul Reiser provide comic relief as Morgan’s rather naïve parents.
Truth be told, that’s really all that can be said about The Spy Who Dumped Me. It may be a typical spy movie but it’s still an incredibly strong showcase for Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon. If the film does well then here’s hoping that a sequel will be on the horizon. I mean, while there are high quality serious spy films, we could use more fun ones.
