Starring romcom veteran J-Lo and iconic heartthrob in his own right Josh Duhamel, Shotgun Wedding spins the genre almost on its head, following a bride and groom whose destination wedding is rudely interrupted by the invasion of pirates. Yes, you read that correctly, and no, it’s not even a bad film.
Distributed by Amazon Prime, Shotgun Wedding has proven to be a hit with audiences worldwide, hitting number one in viewership figures in over 40 countries. Such commercial success doesn’t always equate with quality, but in this instance, it just might. On paper, this film has been done many times over—so much so that Lopez has become synonymous with the wedding romcom genre, from The Wedding Planner (2001) to Monster In Law (2005) and even last year’s Marry Me. So what sets this project aside from its predecessors, you may ask? The answer, as with most worthy comedies, is self-awareness.
Whilst the film is far from perfect and gets off to a fairly bumpy start, giving audiences little to no context surrounding Darcy (Lopez) and Tom’s (Duhamel) relationship, the personalities and trajectories of each character are soothingly clear from the get-go. In a refreshing flip, Tom is presented as the wedding-obsessed groom while Darcy is a hesitant and anxious bride. As the film progresses and supporting cast members are introduced, the breezy and far-from-serious tone is set.
A suitably silly turn from Jennifer Coolidge as Tom’s mother Carol is used to full effect. In the arena of the ever-developing cultural narrative surrounding Coolidge, it is nice to see her in a role that not only plays on her comedic strengths but shows development alongside it. Straight off the back of her Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning performance in the equally tropical The White Lotus (2021-), Coolidge has arguably never been more famous and her inclusion in the film has undoubtedly played a role in its success. To add further intrigue to the production of Shotgun Wedding, all three stars are aged over 50, providing refreshing proof that younger is not always better.
As Darcy and Tom argue over their nuptials, their wedding party is abducted by unfortunately stereotypical pirates, whose representation would no doubt be receiving criticism if it weren’t being offset by a large Latino cast in the form of Darcy’s extended family. It is at this point in the film that the audience finds themselves truly entertained by its sheer ridiculousness. Following in the footsteps of The Lost City (2022), Tom and Darcy find themselves in increasingly high-stakes situations, from having to burn the face of one of the pirates to keeping a pinless grenade from exploding. Whilst they struggle through a jungle setting, each challenge poses another opportunity for them to further examine the intricacies of their relationship in surprisingly poignant fashion.
The experiences of the hostages increase in hilarity as the bodies of the pirates begin to pile up, with Carol attempting to appease her captors in classic Coolidge fashion. Notably subtle subplots find further development as the hostages are held in the resort pool, with Darcy’s sister and Tom’s best man sparring regarding a tryst the night before. As the film races towards the finish line, campy turns from supporting stars Lenny Kravitz and D’Arcy Carden help up the ante.
Without spoiling the perfectly predictable, albeit comforting, ending, Shotgun Wedding delivers exactly what the world of streaming requires: self-aware escapism, solid performances and an entertaining environment.
The Verdict
In a world where services such as Netflix and Disney+ strive to justify the move from cinema to home viewing, many of their attempts go against their point with dramatic content and long runtimes. However it is here that Prime has struck the perfect tone, with Shotgun Wedding proving to be the perfectly imperfect rom-com to offset your winter blues, in the comfort of your own home.
Words by Ben Carpenter
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