The Night Before (2015) Poster

(II) (2015)

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6/10
Another worthless love-in.......
FlashCallahan20 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Every Christmas Eve for the last decade, best friends Isaac, Ethan, and Chris have reunited for a wild night on the town in New York City.

But since getting older and having to face new responsibilities, their tradition is about to come to an end.

As a result, they plan one last epic night together, which includes finding their way to a legendary party called the Nutcracka Ball......

Goldberg and Rogen must be going down the same route as Garry Marshall with his seasonal big cast story. Take an important date, Christmas, and interview, or the end of the world, add a plethora of star cameos, get Rogen into some drug induced paranoid state, and you have instant comedy........just add spite.

And here it's no different. We get our three 'heroes' dawdle through the New York streets on one of the most important days to be with your family, trying to deny the fact that they are getting old, and need to calm the partying down a little.

And when you think about it, the three are literal heroes in a sense. Any film starring Robin, Falcon, and The Green Hornet, should spark a little interest. But no, it's just another excuse to make a film about how much money they can get from the studio to make another comedy, because the writer and the stars are not afraid of a little controversy.

Oh, and they also use the Colombia sign from the early eighties, so not only are they slightly controversial in a cheeky way, they are also meta!!! Win win!!.

No.

This stuff is starting to become really tiring, and it really irks me when Rogen is so good in something like Steve Jobs, and then just runs back to his safety net with this sort of unfunny tosh.

So he's the obligatory goofball in the film, getting high and then getting paranoid, Levitt playing the desperate romantic, and Mackie, looking for a Civil War poster somewhere subliminally in the film.

And then there's a weird cameo from General Zod himself, as some sort of Christ/Santa/Jacob Marley type character giving each of the three some sort of message about life lessons.

And then there's the obligatory cameo from James Franco.

Leave it. There's no Christmas spirit in this filth.

Desperately unfunny, and quite miserable.
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5/10
Hardly a new Christmas classic here...
paul_haakonsen9 June 2018
"The Night Before" turned out to be an adequate comedy, and it managed to live up to whatever expectations that I had to it.

This is in, all honesty, a very generic comedy that uses a formula that has been used countless of times in other similar comedies, so don't expect anything new or innovating here.

The cast was actually the best part of the movie, and I must admit that despite the fact that I am not much of a fan of Seth Rogen in any way, then he was actually the one who stood out the most in the movie because of the drug scenes, which were also the highlights of the entire movie. And Mindy Kaling were also standing out with her performance, just a shame that she had limited time on the screen. There were also some nice cameo performances by the likes of James Franco, Miley Cyrus and Tracy Morgan. And it definitely was a shame that James Franco didn't have more on-screen time, because he was hilarious here.

"The Night Before" is a very run-of-the-mill comedy. So it is good enough for a single viewing, but it hardly has enough contents to become a Christmas classic.
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7/10
A mindless but hilarious stoner comedy about Christmas tradition
jmoneyjohal24 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The Night Before surprisingly was highly enjoyable, and had many hilarious moments. I am saying this because Seth Rogen's last two comedic productions the Neighbours and The Interview left me very underwhelmed. So The Night Before is a comeback of sorts,and though The Night Before strived to become on of those Christmas classics people watch every Christmas it didn't quite hit that mark, but as a mindless stoner comedy its target audience well lap this film. For a film like The Night Before however a deep analysis is not really needed because from the onset, from the films trailer its was know to all the film was a in the "stoner comedy" genre,so a great story etc was not excepted. The only criteria for this film then is that is it funny or are the jokes stale.

Story wise for the last 10 years, lifelong buddies Ethan,Isaac and Chris have gathered on Christmas Eve to celebrate the holidays with a bang. As Isaac prepares to become a first-time father, the friends realize that their annual tradition is coming to a sad end. To make it as memorable as possible, they plan a night of debauchery and hilarity by searching for the Holy Grail of Christmas parties in New York.

Acting wise Seth Rogen is in full comic form, he pretty much shoulders the whole film on his back with an hilarious up roaring act. Josh Gordon-Levitt looked out of place at times in the film, but his scene with Miley Cyrus makes up for any blemishes he had.Anthony Mackie at times felt like he was doing a rehash of his Pain and Gain role, but he showed a good comic flair.

A film like The Night Before should be judged if the comic gags, and jokes actually work in the film or they just the same run and done clichéd comic scenes we see every other comic film. And this were The Night Before sets itself apart from the other recently Seth Rogen productions. Three scenes which mightly impressed me were the whole Seth Rogen drug induced act, the whole girl stealing weed from Mackie scene, and the Miley Cyrus scenes, all theses scenes will leave you in splits . However there some weird scenes in the film, for example the whole drug dealer sequences and how he flies away with his wings in the end is just plain outlandish. I think those scenes are made for some real serious stoners, I don't know. But I must say that Seth Rogen's comic act is what makes this film so enjoyable, he is the films soul,the church scene is him at his comic best.

Overall while The Night Before is no Christmas classic, but for its target audience this film is a winner all the way. Its mindless yes, but its damn hilarious, and I completely enjoyed the film. I just hope families don't go watch this film together thinking its a regular Christmas film, lol.

3.5/5* or 7/10
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A rather weird approach to friendship? Or friendship was just an excuse?
Dr_Sagan18 February 2016
Seth Rogen is a rather intelligent producer. He and his pals (including Evan Goldberg, James Franco, Mindy Kaling, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park etc.) have created an unusual semi-surreal kind of weird comedies, like "The interview" and "This is the end".

In The Night Before (2015/II) (because there is another (2015/I) movie with the same name in 2015 starring David Faustino!)...3 friends spend every Xmas together in search for a great party and having a good time. The dramatic element here is that one of them lost his parents in a car accident and the other 2 are trying to be supportive.

The problem is that this movie seems like it is designed to provoke, even shock. Trying to extrude laughter through harsh and dramatic situations without actually entering the limits of a black comedy.

Drugs and "tripping" play a major part in the movie. A tone of supernatural. And of course sex and relationships and friendships, the "bro" kind. Yet there are a lot to be desired and a major part of the film, although uneven, takes the lead and makes lifelong friendship to seem like it is just an excuse for some crude jokes like blood from a dripping nose into someone's drink or vomiting into a church during Xmas mass.

Overall: You wont be missing much if you avoid to see this. In the end, the basic idea of bro-friendship seems like an excuse from some surreal gags.
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7/10
Funny Ha Ha! A Christmas classic for Stoners
subxerogravity21 November 2015
It's a nice hard R rated comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Ethan, who lost his parents around Christmas and over the years his two best friends became his family helping him get over his grief by spending every Christmas night together since, and as the boys become men with their own lives, they decide to do one last big Christmas night.

Though Gordon-Levitt is given top billing, Seth Rogen is steeling the funny, being typical Seth Rogen (does not hurt that he produced this thing). He's hysterical and it kind of overshadows his other two stars which include Antony Mackie, who's always a pleasure to see on screen. Gordon-Levitt does make a great Straight man for Rogen's comedy with Gordon-Levitt having a Dean Martian type of charm to him (Though I see more Lou Costello than Jerry Lewis in Rogen's performance).

Michael Shannon was also in the movie doing what he does best and even poking fun at his intense quietness. While Gordon-Levitt and Mackie were working on creating a solid story about the Christmas spirit, Rogen and Shannon made this movie funny, which in the long run was far more important.

Overall, the Night Before feels like Seth Rogen is going down the road of Adam Sandler by working with all his really cool friends (yeah, Franco is in it), convincing talented dramatic actors to try comedy, and getting big celebs to do funny cameos that prove they are people too. Luckily he's not at that point in Sandler's career where watching this has become unbearable. Rogen can still bring the funny!
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7/10
Watching this movie is like feasting on a handful full of drugs - just buy the ticket and take the ride
ArchonCinemaReviews6 December 2015
For the past decade, nobody has worn the mantle of "endearingly lost and confused" quite like Seth Rogen. His fuzzy visage is famously disarming, dialed somewhere between "I don't want any problems, man" and "I actually don't even know how I got here." In modern cinema, Rogen is the reigning on-screen avatar for your inner overgrown man-child. He's the Peter Pan of Stoner Stoner land. If you've enjoyed tumbling out the window with him before, it's likely you'll enjoy most of The Night Before. If not, well, Joseph Gordon- Levitt is also here, and does stuff.

Like all films written or produced by Rogen and his partner Evan Goldberg, The Night Before centers around earnest relationships blended with a platter of substance fueled escapades. A Tracy Morgan narrated opening monologue sets the scene: fourteen years ago, a young man named Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) loses both of his parents on Christmas, and in order to make sure he never feels alone, his best friends Isaac (Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) start an annual tradition of bromantic Christmas debauchery.

As they settle into their 30's, mounting responsibilities–in the form of impending fatherhood for Isaac and sudden NFL fame for Chris — shroud the prospect of future partying. This year, the boys decide to go all out for one final hurrah. However, with no family and no career, Ethan remains stuck in post-adolescence limbo and desperately clings to the significance of this yuletide ritual. Through a stroke of fate, he lands tickets to a legendary bash called The Nutcracka Ball, and leads the group on an adventure through New York City to reach the party. Sleigh bells ring, shenanigans ensue.

The comedy throughout the film is anchored in Isaac's gradual drug- induced transformation into a tripped out, befuddled nomad of the suddenly bizarre Manhattan landscape. Towards the beginning of the night, Isaac's wife (Jillian Bell of Workaholics and 22 Jump Street fame) gifts him a treasure box full of narcotic goodies. Blessed with unexpected powers of self-intoxication, he proceeds to ingest a stir-fry meal of assorted drugs (cocaine combines well with mushrooms, right?) and becomes hopelessly and hilariously unhinged.

Rogen is a rocket on a launch pad. As the night proceeds, he soars, bouncing from situation to situation in freewheeling confusion, guided only by his friends and the prospect of reaching the gilded land of El Dorado in the form of a Christmas party. His emotions flip like television channels, each thought a mere flash before succeeding situations careen in and hijack his attention. Quick! Lunge for that drink you just bled coke-blood into—OK, now respond to this mysteriously explicit text and quizzically question my own sexuality–actually, wait, go talk to that friendly looking sheep in the nativity scene. It's a master class in profound psychedelic confusion. Isaac's solution? Balance things out with more drugs, of course.

The film dims whenever Rogen is off screen. Ethan is relegated to the thankless straight man role, and his personal journey of rekindling a relationship with his ex-girlfriend Diana (Lizzy Caplan) is a charming slog at best. Chris is a tech-age celebrity blowhard, a walking #blessed whose steroid-fueled fame is rapidly smothering his real personality. Along with Isaac's drug inspired revelation of his anxiety around having kids, the three friends each have personal journeys to undertake and resolve by the end of the night.

Central plot aside, the film basically provides a red and green colored canvas to pack in as many bits and gags as possible. Director Jonathan Levine scatters in pop culture references throughout, from a "Big" inspired rendition of Kanye West's "Runaway" in FAO Schwarz to a karaoke performance of Run-D.M.C. to an actual performance of "Wrecking Ball" by the actual Miley Cyrus. The references, while funny, are somewhat jumbled and possibly topical (I have doubts that the pointed nostalgia men in their 30's feel currently for Baby One More Time will resonate with future audiences). More effective were the numerous cameo appearances from actors and comedians, ranging from a magical Yoda- like pot dealing performance by Michael Shannon to a scene-stealing appearance by Ilana Glazer as a manic pixie weed nymph.

As a pure story, The Night Before suffers the classic comedic pitfall of having slightly contrived emotional stakes. That being said, drab sincerity is a standard price-of-entry for any holiday comedy, and it would be foolish to let narrative shortcomings stand in the way of simply letting go and embracing the silliness. Watching this movie, like feasting on an Altoids tin full of white powder and pills, is best done with drug guru Hunter S. Thompson's sage advice in mind: buy the ticket, take the ride.

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7/10
"The Night Before" seems to mimic a lot of holiday movies that came before, but it's still pretty funny.
dave-mcclain22 November 2015
Let me tell you about one of the funniest Christmas movies of all time. Friends who have drifted apart get back together for a Christmas Eve quest in New York City. The night turns into a wild, drug-fueled adventure which includes hallucinations, a Santa Claus who's under the influence, an ill-timed encounter at a midnight mass and a major plot point involving a cameo by a very famous celebrity. There are jokes about sexuality, male body parts, sexting, and a baby acting like an adult, as well as friendships between Christians and Jews and the clash of cultures between their religions during the holiday season. Meanwhile, there are subplots concerning one of the friends freaking out about becoming a father, one friend regretting that he let his ex-girlfriend get away and conflicts between the guys about the state of their friendship, their growing differences (stemming from one of them having gotten wealthy), anxiety about what the future holds for them and a character with supernatural powers trying to help heal the rift between the friends. The movie that I just described is 2011's "A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas". And everything listed above also applies to 2015's "The Night Before" (R, 1:41). But don't get the idea that just because one seems to repeat so much from the other that these movies can't both be funny.

In the raunchy holiday comedy "The Night Before", old friends whose lives are moving in different directions get together for one last Christmas Eve celebration with just the three of them. Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a struggling musician who hasn't done much with his life and, at 33, finds himself making a few dollars by playing an elf at a hotel Christmas party. He's also lonely, having recently broken up with his girlfriend, Diana (Lizzy Caplan). Isaac (Seth Rogen) is Ethan's proudly Jewish friend, who is newly married to Betsy (Jillian Bell) – and they're about to have their first child. Chris (Anthony Mackie) is a 6-year NFL veteran who's finally coming into his own and having his first great season. Chris owes his newfound prowess on the football field to steroids, but he's unashamed and is thoroughly enjoying his enhanced fame. All three men have issues, but they've always been there for each other.

Ethan lost both his parents in a car crash shortly before Christmas 2001, leading Isaac and Chris to cheer him up by beginning what became a tradition of enjoying a night on the town each Christmas Eve. Every December 24th, they stop by the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, visit FAO Schwartz (to dance on the big keyboard from the movie "Big"), eat Chinese food and go to their favorite bar to do karaoke and drink. They have fun, but one Christmas Eve tradition has eluded them all these years – finding and attending NYC's fabled underground party, The Nutcracker Ball. But this year is different. While on elf coat check duty, Ethan lifted three invitations from a snooty rich guy's coat, and is beyond excited that he and his two best buds will cap off their last Christmas Eve together at the city's most exclusive party.

It becomes clear as these three best friends go through their annual routine that this year it will be anything but. In preparation for the Nutcracker Ball (and to impress his team's quarterback), Chris calls the guys' old high school drug dealer, Mr. Green (Michael Shannon), so he can buy some weed. Unfortunately for Chris, his party preparations are frustrated by a strange girl (Ilana Glazer) whom he keeps running into. This isn't a problem for Isaac, who has gotten a "head" start thanks to a box of assorted drugs that his wife gave him as an early Christmas present, leading to all sorts of altered states for him over the course of the night. Ethan keeps running into his ex and her best friend (Mindy Kaling). In the midst of all this (besides all the parallels to "A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas"), there are moments in this movie which pay homage to Christmas classics as varied as "A Christmas Carol", "It's a Wonderful Life", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", "Home Alone" and "Die Hard" (among others).

"The Night Before" is better than I expected, but not as good as the other holiday movies it references. Full disclosure – I'm not a Seth Rogen fan and don't find him funny – usually. However, I'm careful to keep an open mind with all movies, and I admit that Rogen was very good in this one. Actually, the entire movie was well cast with actors who are enjoyable to watch. Some of the jokes and sight gags seemed kind of random, but more hit their marks than missed, and the movie has a strong narrative thread on which to hang them. Even with its many echoes of Christmas films past, this movie works pretty well on its own terms. I still think that the Harold and Kumar movie did better at what this one tries to do, but "The Night Before" is better than most Christmas comedies. "B+"
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7/10
Less Traditional Christmas Movie
stevendbeard21 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I saw "The Night Before", starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt-Premium Rush, The Dark Knight Rises; Seth Rogen-The Interview, The Green Hornet; Anthony Mackie-Love The Coopers, Captain America:The Winter Soldier; Lizzy Caplan-The Interview, Hot Tub Time Machine and Michael Shannon-Man of Steel, Premium Rush.

This is a Christmas movie-in case you could not tell from the title, The Night Before, is referring to Christmas Eve-but with Seth Rogen in it, it's not going to be your traditional holiday movie. About 10 years ago, Joseph lost both his parents in a car accident and his two buddies, Seth and Anthony, came over to keep him company and take his mind off the tragedy. They then turned it into a regular holiday tradition; All three would get together on Christmas Eve and wear ugly holiday sweaters, go to a Karaoke bar and sing, play Goldeneye on a Nintendo and then get drunk-or smoke a little. This year is decided to be their last Hurrah. Seth is now married with a child on the way and Anthony is a famous football celebrity. They just don't have time to get together anymore and it is mutually agreed upon that this will be their last time acting like teenagers, since they all need to just grow up. Joseph finds out about a secret holiday party that they have always wanted to attend, but could never find it. It's called The Nutcracka Ball and they finally get their hands on tickets! Lizzy plays Joseph's ex-girlfriend, that was dumped because Joseph was not ready for a commitment-and guess who shows up at the party?-and Michael is funny as a roving drug dealer, dispensing his holiday philosophy as he hands out his drugs. There are several cameos, including James Franco, Miley Cyrus and Tracy Morgan and some of the humor is pretty graphic-one running joke is about Seth getting a girl's cell phone mixed up with his phone and Seth keeps getting pictures of another guy's penis, which was meant for the girl. Seth is hilarious as he keeps taking more and more drugs-he starts having weird hallucinations and talking to inanimate objects. It's rated "R" for drug use, language and sexual content-including nudity-and has a running time of 1 hour & 41 minutes. If you are in the mood for a holiday movie that is a little untraditional-don't take the kids-you should enjoy this one. I did and I would buy it on DVD.
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8/10
Laughed through the whole thing
jasonchhangur25 December 2018
Can't understand people watching this moving looking for the next mircle on 34th Street....if you watch this for what it is...you will find it hits all the right numbers. References to other Christmas classics throughout, celebrities poking fun at themselves, and just general bafoonary throughout. Rogan out does himself over acting his drug trip and its ups and downs. Great movie. (Horrible 'film'...but great movie)
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7/10
Exactly what I wanted to see
jannikpeveling26 December 2021
When you are searching for movie for a funny Saturday evening and you see a comedy with Seth Rogan you can expect a paticular type of movie. And if you decide to watch this movie, you can't expect something artistic and a demanding intelligent comedy. If you expect that you will hate this movie, but then it is your own fault. From a Seth Rogan comedy you expect an easy funny comedy with a lot of party, drugs, good friendship and a lot of fun to watch. And "The Night before" gives you exactly what you expect and especially exactly what you want to see when you decide to watch this movie and you have a fun time watching it.
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4/10
A mess
Movie_Rating_n_Ranking15 December 2022
Ok, this looks like a movie written by teenagers pretending to be and live like adults. Watching a buddy movie for Christmas is not a good idea, especially if it's badly written. There is a lot and nothing happening at the same time, everything is noisier than it should be, conveniences are given away at every corner, the performances are forced and unnatural (and for some reason, I expected more from the main trio of actors).

At no point did I feel in the Christmas spirit or feel like I was watching a Christmas movie. If you have other recommendations for the Holidays, take those instead. I don't recommend this movie at any time of the year.
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8/10
Shocked by all the bad reviews
awfhf-5395118 July 2016
I'm a pretty tough critic when it comes to movies in general, with comedies' standards differing a bit. I was very pleasantly surprised with this movie. I expected it to be pretty funny, but nothing special. I came away thinking it was pretty funny; but also found it to have a lot of heart and actually/shockingly, quite thought provoking. As I get older, relationships with friends are becoming confusing, complicated, and frankly quite difficult. And this movie hit on that really well. I also thought Mr. Green was an amazing character; and he's now a bit of a personal cult favorite of mine id say. This goes down as one of my three or four favorite Christmas movies.
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7/10
GMM: The Night Before Movie Review
graymattermovies24 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
If the Grinch rolled National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and This Is The End into a blunt and smoked it, The Night Before would become the product of his high. In The Night Before, Isaac (Seth Rogan), Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and Chris (Anthony Mackie) are three best friends who spend every Christmas Eve together engaging in the same traditional, intoxicated, antics that over time have dwindled in excitement due to the inevitable, dreaded, adulthood. However, on this last night of their annual event, they have finally come across tickets to the nutcracker ball, a mega hyped Christmas party that only those who receive the red "golden ticket like" passes can enter.

The film itself already has an interesting trio at the helm. Seth Rogan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie, while not really fitting into the same typecast category, are all able to play well off of each other throughout the film. Along with other supporting actors such as Jillian Bell (Betsy), Lizzy Caplan (Diana), Mindy Kaling (Sarah), and Michael Shannon as Mr. Green, everyone in the film appeared to provide balanced chemistry amongst their interactions on screen. Not taking a good look at the full cast list beforehand also plays nicely as there are a few other Hollywood stars that are featured in some short parts.

As for the comedic aspect, you kind of know what to expect in a film with Seth Rogan. Yes there are plenty of vulgar, stupid, drug induced scenes in the film. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not, considering there are a few, I laughed so hard I nearly spilled my popcorn, scenes. Unfortunately, most of the really funny scenes consisted of the character struggling with their altered perception of reality, while the rest, consisting of minor chuckles, fell elsewhere.

There were some different cinematic choices that play into the overall comedic environment of the film. The use of camera phone points of view and the visual creation of perceived drug related hallucinations add a little more jingle. It does however fall short from being able to separate itself from the countless other holiday based comedies, although it does moderately deliver on its goal and doesn't seem to be too forceful.

The Night Before, while paying homage to some other Christmas films, seems like more than your old run of the mill illegal drug based comedy. While this may seem like the main focus of the film on the surface level, there are some underlying themes that can play into the true meaning of Christmas spirit. Isaac, Ethan, and Chris all struggle from some sort of relationship issues such as those stemming from finding new friends, significant others, parental attachment, and many more. The entire film is spent on these three not only re- discovering the important foundations of their friendship but also learning how to adapt them into their ever changing lives as independent "mature" adults.

The Night Before comes early in the first round of holiday based films of 2015. It may have been overshadowed on opening weekend due to the last installment of the Hunger Games franchise. But if you want a change of taste away from the scifi- adventure film, and are looking for something to do on Thanksgiving break, The Night Before will get you a some good laughs and help burn a few of those holiday calories off. The Night Before receives a sober 6.5/10.
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3/10
Dull and tonally awkward.
Troy_Campbell8 December 2015
In the vein of Bad Santa and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation comes this strictly-for-adults Christmas-themed comedy that, going by the fantastic trailer alone, you would expect to be filled to the brim with hearty entertainment. Unfortunately The Night Before is one of those saddening experiences in which the trailer features all of the good bits and, worse still, even those moments aren't that funny once put into context. Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie play three mates who have celebrated Christmas together ever since high school– with tacky annual traditions and all – but are now heading in different directions. These genuinely hilarious actors throw everything but the kitchen sink at the screen in an effort to lift the otherwise lacklustre material, yet witnessing their effortless chemistry only underscores how much of a wasted opportunity this movie really is. As one of four scribes and the sole director, Jonathan Levine has to shoulder a large portion of the blame. There are jokes that fall so flat it's curious as to how Levine let them slide, both before and during production. The tone is also extremely wonky, veering from crude humour to mawkish sentimentality with the flip of a switch. These sudden mood changes muddy the aim of the film entirely and result in lengthy periods of corny emotion. Oh, and watching Rogen high on drugs has already worn exceptionally thin, so whoever decided it would be a good idea to have him strung out on mushrooms and cocaine for the whole movie should be banned from Hollywood. A nearly completely laugh-free affair (save for an amusing cameo late in the piece), The Night Before squanders its potential and ensures its place alongside any number of Vince Vaughn-led Yuletide yarns.
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nothing happens
cdcrb30 November 2015
I was reluctant to see the film. I heard it was vulgar and tasteless. I saw bad santa in the day, and although it was filthy and offensive, I laughed a lot. the night before is neither vulgar or tasteless. it's just nothing. no one in the theater laughed, no one walked out. I actually couldn't give it a number. seth rogen is, well, seth rogan. no acting stretch of any kind. Joseph gorden levitt, who reminds me a great deal of a young johnny depp (pre-stardom), is totally wasted, no pun, here. I was hoping for laughs and instead was wondering what the film maker had in mind. I couldn't tell. I know movies are subjective and we all don't see the same movie. reviews are mixed. I wanted to laugh. no luck there.
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6/10
Molotov of Druggery and Mazel-Tovely Awesome good time
DuskShadow24 December 2016
When I was a teen I warned everyone I knew to look after their relationships: parents, siblings, children, lovers, and especially friends. Nothing in this life lasts forever. The only constant - is CHANGE. Blah blah blah.

People move on with their own agendas and perceived roles in their lives and this puts a great strain on previous interactions that we often take for granted after our formative educational years. Friendships are usually the most likely things to suffer, fade, and disappear once people grow up. This movie is a fun , veiled tale of what we ALL must go through with regards to those changes ,and I sympathize with it, fore tis a central part of the human condition.

There's laughs, spills, not too many thrills, or chills, though for a xmas movie, thats just mein penchant for terrible har har making. But some people do these types of things, no gender analysis needed to ruin a good time. HOWEVER...

The film will of course appeal a tad more to the male perspective, but honestly when you look beyond Seth Rogan's ever intentionally placed molotov of druggery and mazel tovly awesome beard, and the strangely balding J G Levitt and their mysterious drug dealer associate, we remember that we all go through the same things, regardless of our individual attitudes, perspectives and the colors they take on. A good "holy" season watch when your bored and want some entertainment. Seasons Greetings and keep your heat beating.

Pe@ce ^~^
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6/10
"She Home Alone'd me!"
drewnes30 May 2021
I need to watch more holiday movies this month and this randomly popped up on my feed. I don't know why I didn't watch this in theaters because it was pretty funny. You can tell a lot of the jokes were improvised on the spot (which I love) and Michael Shannon might be my favorite thing about it.
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7/10
Not bad, but a bit long-winded
themadmovieman5 December 2015
The guys who brought you modern comedy greats like This Is The End, Bad Neighbours and The Interview have been on a roll these past couple of years, but, unfortunately The Night Before doesn't quite match those standards. It's without doubt a fun film, and has a convincingly cosy and non-cheesy Christmassy feel to it, but it lacks in big laughs, and really suffers from an often lagging screenplay that can get a bit boring to watch.

For the most part, though, there is a lot of fun to be had from this film. The camaraderie between Rogen, Gordon-Levitt and Mackie is really entertaining, and the various antics they get up to are stupid enough to put a smile on your face.

It's also got a nice message, and doesn't do it in a painfully cheesy way. It's all about both thinking about your friends, but also accepting that times change and you can't hold onto people forever, and it matches that with a very pleasant Christmassy tone that surprisingly sits well within all of the drug and toilet humour that you don't normally get in festive cinema.

With regards to the comedy, it's alright. There are two or three brilliantly funny scenes that I absolutely loved, but for the most part, I didn't find myself laughing that much, not even really chuckling. Sure, I still enjoyed the movie, and was smiling at all the idiocy going on on screen throughout, but I didn't quite feel the comedic brilliance that we've seen from these guys before shine through, and so it just wasn't a hilarious film to watch.

The biggest issue that I have with this film is its pacing. The beginning and middle period, whilst not hilarious, moves along at a fast enough pace to remain engaging and enjoyable, but the final fifteen minutes or so are appallingly slow, nor are they funny at all. The film wraps up with a more generic holiday movie ending, and does feel a little forced and cheesy, but with no fun element to it, it just seems to drag on and on and on, making this film feel a lot longer to me than it actually was.
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7/10
Twas the Night Before Christmas, and All Who Were Stoned!
rgkarim22 November 2015
Twas the night before Christmas a line that has rang in our hearts throughout the ages. It's simplicity opens up a story of light, one that ignited the excitement of our younger selves in eager anticipation of the magic of the holidays. Well this weekend Hollywood has changed the meaning of that line, giving it one that is a less pure and perhaps more spirited. My final review of the weekend is on the latest comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anthony Mackie.

If you haven't seen the numerous trailers, the plot of this movie is another simplistic telling of three friends who made a pact to uphold a tradition every year. And of course this film focuses on the one night where that pact is threatened by each of the bros special problems. Despite how unoriginal the problems may be, they do set up the comedy stunts that fill this film.. Surprisingly they do an okay job of developing the characters, allowing things to hit the fan just enough to keep pushing our characters towards that convenient moment of self-discovery. The morals are presented in a creative manner similar to a Christmas Carol, a nice twist that fit well with the theme of the movie. Unfortunately all this development is hastily concluded in a nicely wrapped package only Hollywood can create.

However, if I truly came for the story of this movie I would truly be an idiot, much like our characters. The comedy is by far the aspect that received the greatest attention to this film. Twas the Night focuses on the big three of comedy: sex, drugs, and booze (which yes is a drug but deserves a category on its own). Being a Seth Rogen movie, one shouldn't be surprised that drugs drive the actions of our curly headed jester. Weed, among other psychotropic remedies, fuel our characters' journey through the city and ironically is a medium for their self-discovery. Of course not everyone handles their drugs accordingly, which leads to them acting like boobs who can't seem to shut up. Throw in alcohol and the stupidity gets amplified into wreckless chases, ridiculous conversation rants that drag on, and stumbling into unrealistic situations that you can find on most TV comedies

And yet…there were still some cleverness to the chaos. I myself loved the movie references in the film, each given a modern twist that was fun to watch. My particular favorite part was when the trio played the floor keyboard in the toy store (can you say Big?). The surprise cameos, one of which I should have seen coming, smoothly transitioned into the story and provided a reprieve from the generic jokes they kept spewing. Heck even some of the drug moments shined brightly, particularly an incident involving a manger, which although random and stupid, still held some class. Unfortunately our writers are not always in good taste, and with how easily offended people get; they have crossed the line more than once in this film.

As for the acting, it is pretty much on par with what I expected. No surprise, Rogen plays the drug-addicted fool, spouting total nonsense in that same awkward and goofy manner he always portrays. If you loved it once, you'll love it again, because his delivery hasn't changed much as well, which somehow continues to be entertaining. Mackie keeps to his normal professional bravado, adding a little craziness and chaos to the mix. His comedy came more from well- delivered dialog and poking fun at the social media popularity. Lovitt is kind of a hybrid of these two, taking the best of each character and delivering perhaps the most dynamic character of the trio. His main gimmick is his lack of emotional control that drives him to doing some petty stupid things. While these actors are funny alone, their greatest strength is the chemistry they have with each other.

Let's wrap this up! Twas the Night fits in well with the other films this studio has made. It is stupid, but it's fun and gives you everything you can expect from the trailers. The chemistry between the three actors sells the relationship, and their different styles of comedy work well to bring the maximum laughs to the silver screen. Sure it's the same monotonous jokes being bashed over your head, but there is some cleverness added to the mix that helps tune it up. However, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't warn that those easily offended will need to brace themselves for the religious jokes in this movie. And please, DO NOT BRING YOUR YOUNG KIDS TO THIS MOVIE!

Is this movie worth a trip to the theater? No, it can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home. However, definitely check it out on RedBox I a few short months.

My scores for this film are:

Comedy: 7.5 Movie Overall: 7
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9/10
A new Christmas movie classic!
Hellmant20 November 2015
'THE NIGHT BEFORE': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Christmas comedy flick, from producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. It re-teams Rogen with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and director Jonathan Levine (the trio last worked together on 2011's '50/50'). The film tells the story of three best friends (Rogen, Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie), that reunite for one last Christmas Eve; of partying together (a tradition they've carried on for over a decade), before moving on to different adulthood things (like parenting). The movie was written by Levine, Goldberg, Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir. It costars Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kaling and Michael Shannon. I loved it; like I love nearly every movie Rogen and Goldberg put out!

Ethan (Gordon-Levitt) lost his parents, in a drunk driving accident, over a decade earlier on Christmas Eve. His two best friends, Isaac (Rogen) and Chris (Mackie), have been celebrating the holiday with him, by getting wasted and partying, ever since (on Christmas Eve). Now Isaac is about to have a baby, and Chris is becoming a very popular athlete; so they've decided to end the tradition, with one last big 'night out'. Lots of drugs, sex and other crazy antics follow.

The movie is hilarious, from start to finish; I laughed-out-loud, nearly the entire film. The performances are great, and the script is brilliant. The only problem I have with the movie though, is the cheesy melodrama; whenever the film tries to get too serious, it doesn't work (and the romance sucks). That doesn't take place too often though; other than that, it's a new Christmas movie classic!

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/iHtyjLDJ1Ko
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6/10
THE "GRINCH" SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID BACK
larryanderson27 December 2022
The Grinch got away with stealing and nastiness. She should have been paid back for her meanness. Her best line was ?no, go lower". (figure it out). She stole money and his drugs TWICE. She got away with everything. Too bad she didn't end up under a fallen Xmas tree or something. She was NASTY in the sex scenes, which were probably cut out of most tV versions. However her selfish display of greed took most of the fun away from the lively pace of the movie in general. The train ride at the party entrance was a clever touch. The reindeer/horses were a clever addition to the story. Watch it a few times to figure most of it out.
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1/10
Panders to the lowest common denominator
estatelawcanada6 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The only reason I got to the end of this stinker of a movie is that I paid money for it.

I thought the premise for it was alright - 3 longtime friends go out on the town for their last Christmas together. As it turns out, each of them is dealing with a personal issue. One is going to be a father and is afraid he's not prepared. One is a professional athlete who is using steroids to stay in the game. The third is making excuses for why his life is going nowhere.

Then, it gets really, really stupid. Isaac's wife gives him a box of street drugs for Christmas and he takes all of them. Instead of dying of an overdose, he throws up, bleeds into a woman's drink, and generally goes around being gross. This is, believe it or not, one of the main punch lines of the movie.

Drugs are so prevalent in this movie, they are practically a character of their own. There is a superficial attempt to draw on Dickens' "Christmas Carol" by calling their dope dealer the Spirit of Christmas Present, and drug-taking in general is made out to be synonymous with partying and friendship. Even the fabulous party they finally get to after years of trying literally has a bowl of drugs on the table. And yet, for some reason, their athlete buddy is called out and shamed for taking steroids. I don't get that steroid use is so horrible when everyone else is taking cocaine, dope, mushrooms, and every other drug they can find.

I also disliked the fact that nobody in this movie could actually explain anything or say anything adult. Isaac's wife says to him that she is a "f*cking piece of sh*t". As it turns out, she means that she fears she might not be a good mother. What happened to "I'm worried" or "I feel unprepared"? Why can't anyone actually articulate anything beyond the most basic grunting sounds? These are meant to be educated people (Isaac is a lawyer) and yet they all speak like 14-year-olds who think it's cool to swear when their parents aren't around.

At the end of this movie, I just felt depressed. I feel sorry for anyone whose life is anything like these pointless characters, and anyone who thinks that the "partying" portrayed in this movie is even remotely fun.

There was no real plot to this movie. The characters are flat and uninteresting, and don't actually learn anything or develop, despite the premise of the movie. The humour is beyond juvenile. Conclusion: a complete waste of time.
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10/10
Another Hilarious Seth Rogan Film! And a Christmas one! Amazing!
roguecritic4220 November 2015
Another hilariously funny Seth Rogan film. I love all the movies this guy makes. This one was special and funny in its own way, but still filled with the classic adult and drug oriented humor that Seth is known for.

The movie is filled with great cameos and a great cast all around, but even Miley Cyrus is in this film and while I don't ever listen to her music and have never seen her perform, I have to say she did a brief acting job that was excellent and really added to the fun of the movie. I hope to see her in more movies in the future, because I loved the part they gave her in this movie. But also there were some other great comedian cameos that you are probably used to seeing in other Rogan movies.

But it's more than that. It's also a heartwarming movie that has some sentimental story telling that just might make you a little misty eyed. Its a great story about three life long friends really growing up in their own ways.

This is the first time this year I have finally felt the Christmas spirit and I loved it. 10 out of 10 comedy. Thank you to the entire writing cast that is involved with these Rogan movies because you guys don't disappoint, and if anything, this is probably one of his best movies to date.
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7/10
Worth a watch with lots of life lessons
fortnitegonewrong28 March 2023
This movie isn't the greatest movie you'll ever see but the lessons it can teach you are great. It teaches you the importance of friends, and also family. The importance of growing up and being independent, living by yourself and growing as a person. Also the importance of Christmas and religion, how important it is to have faith in something and celebrate it together with other people. For me this movie Motivated me to enjoy life the most I can, cause why not huh? We only live once so enjoy it while we are here. It also shows the importance of starting up a family and having a responsibility in your life.

It's just a funny Christmas comedy and it's definitely just a worth a late night watch. Watch it!
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1/10
A Movie to Make You Hate Movies
Scott-34410 March 2016
Horrible script, flat performances, directionless direction. I sat through this entire travesty because, well, sometimes you want to know what all the fuss with "Plan 9 From Outer Space" was about. This movie has everything: Actors standing in place reciting meaningless, unfunny dialogue. A camera that occasionally and for no reason repeatedly encircles the three leads. Every "shock" cliché that's been in far better efforts of the last 20 years. In fact, it's not that this is a movie that will make you hate movies, it very likely will make you hate life. Highly recommended (to my enemies). Everyone else, skip this one; you'll be happier on your death bed.
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