Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (2026)

​“Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” stars Zoey Deutch, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Jon Hamm.  Released on July 10, 2026, the film follows a woman who travels through Los Angeles to have sex with Jon Hamm.

The film was directed by David Wain, who also directed films such as “Wet Hot American Summer”, “Role Models”, “Wanderlust”, and “A Futile and Stupid Gesture”.  Have you ever fantasized about hanging out with your celebrity crush?  Pretty much all of us have, to no one’s surprise.  But have some of us been willing to go as far as to have sex with them?  Well, think no further, as this latest comedy has the answer for you.  This weekend was packed with yet another slew of returning IPs seeking to dominate the summer box office, including another live-action remake that no one asked for and an R-rated horror sequel that everyone’s been craving for.  Amid these choices lies another original comedy that aims to evoke some laughs at the sight of our longtime “celebrity crush” dream fully realized.  Was it able to accomplish this task, or should audiences revoke this cinematic pass?  Let’s find out.

The story centers on Gail Daughtry (Deutch), a hairdresser in rural Kansas who’s preparing to marry her fiancee, Tom (Michael Cassidy).  One day, they discuss their “celebrity sex pass”, where they talk about the one celebrity they could have sex with without violating their relationship.  Initially seeing it as a joke, Gail discovered that the “celebrity sex pass” is real when she caught Tom having sex with Jennifer Aniston at a book signing.  As a result, Gail distanced herself from Tom by traveling to Los Angeles with her friend Otto (Gutierrez-Riley) to attend a hairdressing convention.  After visiting a psychic, Gail eventually realizes that she should fulfill her side of the celebrity sex pass to fix her relationship, prompting her and Otto to embark on a daffy quest to find her chosen celebrity: Jon Hamm (Hamm).  However, Gail also has to stay one step ahead of a dangerous criminal named Ludovica (Impacciatore), who sends her henchman to kill her after a briefcase-swapping mishap.

This is one of the movies that I wasn’t expecting to see until luck gave me that opportunity.  The movie’s title is basically enough to get me interested in its concept, notably because I, too, have a similar fantasy about being with a celebrity crush.  I can’t say who because I’m still trying to decide.  It’s a daily struggle that may or may not reach its end.  When I saw that it was showing at my closest theater, I decided to go check that out instead of a remake of a movie I could watch at home.  Don’t worry.  I’ll get to the live-action “Moana” one day.  Just not right now.  Until then, this is another day of me supporting more original movies.  Did I make the right decision?  Honestly, yes.  Without watching its trailers, I initially expected “Gail Daughtry” to be a typical comedy with grounded themes.  While I did get the comedy aspect of this celebrity hunt, I honestly didn’t read between the lines about what type of comedy it was, which made my experience watching it surprisingly enjoyable.

Regarding its concept, “Gail Daughtry” is best described as a modern Hollywood version of “The Wizard of Oz”.  You’re probably wondering how I came up with that ridiculous conclusion.  First off, the title character’s name references Dorothy Gale, but in reverse, and the screen format changes once Gail reaches the magical land of Hollywood.  Once you pick up on those, you’ll be able to spot the rest of the references, even if they can be on-the-nose.  Of course, amid its resemblance, this is another comedy that leans closer to silliness territory, where its oddball, satirical finesse combines with reality, akin to a television sitcom.  Of course, given its lighthearted and eccentric tone, it’s also something that Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison crew would’ve come up with, especially when the title has the word “sex” in it.  But in the hands of director David Wain and co-writer Ken Marino, it became a film with a surprisingly decent blend of weirdness and peppy charm, without taking its sex content too far.

I’ve only experienced David Wain’s directorial vision through “A Futile and Stupid Gesture” back in 2018, which I also found decent.  It’s been a while since I last saw that film, but I remember it having a blend that’s a bit grounded yet satirical and crude in its humor.  For “Gail Daughtry”, this balance still exists, though it leans into the chirpy, lighthearted appeal, despite containing an R rating.  It’s one of the films that shouldn’t be judged by their covers, in which it may seem genuinely sweet and joyful from the poster, but it contains some pretty nasty stuff suitable for its rating.  Wain and his co-writer, Ken Marino, who also stars in the film as photographer Vincent, find a sweet spot that uses its mild crudeness to elicit effective chuckles within its seemingly lighthearted vibe.  It did result in its storytelling being hit-and-miss, with its narrative framework and simplicity being sometimes overshadowed by its absurdity, particularly in its depiction of friendship and love.  There were also a couple of jokes that came close to dragging on or were cut too short, while some weren’t quite as effective as they wanted to be in terms of the film's satire.

But if you’re not here for the story and just want some weird laughs, “Gail Daughtry” offers plenty of those to fulfill your sexual desires.  On the other hand, if you’re hoping for a bit more substance in its plot and satirical commentary on Hollywood’s celebrities, I hate to say that you’re not going to get much out of this whimsical odyssey.  Personally, I thought it was a pretty surreal trek that had enough self-awareness in its tone and satirical humor to inject some dynamic fun into the act of someone making out with a celebrity.  Much of that is due to Zoey Deutch's enduring charisma.  She’s been having an impressive run this year with her roles in “Minions & Monsters” and Netflix’s “Voicemails for Isabelle”.  I thought she was decent in “Minions”, but I haven’t watched the latter, even though I heard good things about it.  For this film, Deutch was tasked with embodying a perky, joyful individual whose life is turned upside down by a “sex pass”.  The result is possibly one of the best performances I’ve seen from her.  Much like the film itself, Deutch is packed with infectious charm and weirdness that can only be described as “awkwardly compelling”, a fitting mix that results in a livelier experience from top to bottom.  John Slattery was also very enjoyable as the satirized version of himself, providing a “Mad Men” reunion with Jon Hamm we didn’t know we needed.  Miles Gutierrez-Riley and Ben Wang also got good mileage from their comedic timing in their performances as Otto and Caleb, respectively.

Overall, “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” is a kooky and surprisingly entertaining celebrity hunt that permits me to laugh at its satirical, oddball vibe.  This is another movie that exceeded my expectations with its blend of weirdness and irresistible charm, transforming its seemingly dumb and crude premise into a lighthearted, mildly fun trip through Hollywood.  While David Wain’s tone may not have a stronger narrative to balance itself with, this modern, whimsical “Wizard of Oz” adventure fulfills this everlasting fantasy to the best of its capabilities.  To me, it’s more than enough to make this experience as pleasurable as fantasizing about "doing business" with one's celebrity crush.  Regarding its solid cast, particularly Zoey Deutch, amusing humor, and Wain’s decent take on its satirical wackiness, this cinematic pass is worth accepting, especially if you're looking for something original to watch this summer.

B-