Clay Tarver’s ticklish buddy comedy, Vacation Friends, offers a plate full of fun and entertainment. As a whole, the film is so bad that it actually feels funny. These “for entertainment purposes” films should be put under open and serious debate to explore the psychology of the studios and producers who invest in these films. Let’s superficially explore the movie because it doesn’t even have any depth to fathom.
Plot Summary
A middle-aged construction contractor, Marcus Parker (Lil Rel Howery), arrives in Mexico from Chicago with his long-time girlfriend, Emily Conway (Yvonne Orji). Marcus plans to propose to Emily for marriage in a week-long vacation and buys a romantic package in a 5-star hotel. Though, as he opens his luxurious room, the couple witnesses a ruined interior with water dripping from everywhere. Manager Maurillio apologizes for the mishap caused by guests in the Presidential suite above their room who evidently overfilled their Jacuzzi. Marcus tries to get another room for his vacation, but the manager informs them about the unavailability of any other room. Devastated, Marcus proposes to Emily in the lobby, who graciously accepts his proposal.
The budding love of the lovebirds is adored by the guests, Ron (John Cena) and his girlfriend, Kyla (Yvonne Orji), who invite Marcus and Emily to stay with them in their Presidential Suite to make up for the “Jacuzzi” tragedy. After a bit of hesitation, a reserved Marcus agrees, unaware of the dangers that lay ahead.
Wild and adventurous Ron and Kyla take Marcus and Emily on reckless and venturesome trips. They even mix Marcus’ drink with drugs. He tries to flee away from the clutches of this carefree couple, but Ron doesn’t let him go. At the end of their vacation, Ron gets Marcus and Emily married in a traditional Mayan ceremony. They celebrate overnight, stuffing their system with substance, and under the influence, Marcus hallucinates making love to Ron’s girlfriend, Kyla.
The next morning, a guilt-ridden Marcus, ailing with a hangover, quickly leaves Mexico with Emily. He pledges not to mingle or come across this crazy couple again, but it is just the beginning of many horrors to come.
‘Vacation Friends’ Ending Explained
Seven months later, Marcus and Emily finally planned their wedding as per their family traditions. He didn’t invite nor intend to ask Ron and Kyla and wanted to forget about his vacation friends. But the nosy couple were ardent to follow Marcus even to the depths of hell. Ron and Kyla arrived at the wedding and lured Emily’s father, Harold Conway. Until now, Harold detested Marcus for his first broken marriage and his construction job. But as soon as the former Green Beret, Ron, arrived, Harold was spellbound.
Looking at Ron and Harold’s friendliness, Marcus allowed the crazy couple to stay for the wedding. However, Kyla’s mysterious pregnancy terrorized Marcus, as he believed that he was the baby’s father.
In a series of comical scenes, Marcus got exhausted by Ron’s recklessness and tried to get rid of him. The final blow came when Marcus dropped Harold’s ancestral wedding rings in a sewer. Marcus knew that his father-in-law would shoot him for the mishap, but he failed to do anything to rectify it.
In the last sequence, an anxious Marcus confessed to losing the ring and accepted that he is the father of Kyla’s baby. Amusingly at this moment, Ron and Kyla revealed that when they mentioned that Marcus is “directly involved” in the pregnancy, they meant that the trip and a jump from the cliff helped Ron gain his fertility. The shocking truth, in fact, was, on the day of their Malan wedding, Emily got intimately involved with Ron under the influence of drugs.
After so many confusions and confessions, a brawl started under the roof. Marcus and Emily left the venue, and Ron and Kyla followed them. Emily and Marcus reconciled their relationship and blamed Ron and Kyla for everything. Later, Marcus insulted Ron and asked him to walk away from their life forever.
The following day, workers from Marcus’ construction company vouched for Marcus’ credibility and revealed to his father-in-law the reason for the end of Marcus’ last marriage. Harold finally accepted Marcus and held him in high esteem. Marcus realized that it all happened because of one person, and that was Ron. Emily and Marcus searched for Ron and Kyla to invite them to their wedding ceremony. They apologized for their mistakes and considered Ron and Kyla much more than vacation friends.
Marcus gave a forehead kiss to Ron (a salaam) in a humorous stance and requested him to be the best man at his wedding. After a bit of a hither and thither, Ron and Kyla agreed and attended the wedding, but under one condition, Marcus and Emily would attend their wedding too.
A few months later, Kyla gave birth to a baby boy named Marcus. In the presence of the kid, the couple got married in a traditional Mayan ceremony in Mexico. Their wedding was attended by Marcus, Emily, and their respective families. In the end, Harold mixed white powder in his drink and curiously underlined, “the salt doesn’t taste very salty.” Well, that’s how the film was.
Vacation Friends is a 2021 Comedy Film directed by Clay Tarver. It stars Yvonne Orji, Meredith Hagner, John Cena, and Lil Rel Howery in prominent roles.
