Netflix’s latest original film “The Bubble” directed by Judd Apatow was released on April 1 and here is my spoiler-free review.

“The Bubble” takes place during the COVID pandemic and is a comedic story describing the process a large production company takes to create a feature film that focuses on all the issues the actors, crew, director, and everyone else involved with the movie face in light of the virus. It’s an attempt to make the sixth installment of a popular action series called “Cliff Beasts”. The ragtag group of actors is the focal point of the film, which includes a star-studded cast, led by Carol Cobb (Karen Gillian), a star whose career is at a low point after a controversial role, the stars of the franchise, Dustin Mulray (David Duchovny) and Lauren Van Chance (Leslie Mann), a TikTok phenom Krystal Kris (Iris Apatow), Dieter Bravo (Pedro Pascal), Sean Knox (Keegan-Michael Key) and many more. This satirical flick plays mostly off the struggle most people faced during the pandemic and also the stereotypes and shallowness of Hollywood.

With such a large number of high-profile cast members, it was tough for any single character to make a huge impact on the film. With that being said, Pascal’s performance was particularly funny and his portrayal of the immoral Dieter Bravo was on point. Keegan-Michael Key also brought some nice flair with his character, and his storyline of accidentally starting a religion was well done. Other than those two, most of the performances fell flat. The chemistry between the cast wasn’t quite on the level we are used to when it comes to Apatow films. No one had an especially poor performance, but there weren’t enough really high-quality ones for the film to live up to its comedic expectation.

Overall, the movie was decent, it just lacked the charm, and laughability you hope for in a goofy comedy. There were still some great moments. The occasional cast-wide TikTok videos were entertaining. The pure element of frustration with the pandemic and quarantining was very relatable. Besides the more quirky scenes, the movie was not very memorable. There weren’t any excellent quotes or laugh-out-loud moments that made me eager for the next scene.

When it comes to Judd Apatow films this one does not top my list. If you want to relieve some of the craziness that was the pandemic in a humorous light then go ahead and give it a watch, but don’t come back and complain to me when you find it hard to finish. I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars in my book.