IBIZA: A Lighthearted Girls Trip To Spain

I’ve always been a fan of raunchy comedies. In the past few years, there has been a surge in this specific genre of film- especially when it comes to women in the leading roles. Films such as Bridesmaids, Pitch Perfect, Girls Trip, and Bad Moms have cemented the idea that female-led comedies can depict women as equally funny, irresponsible, and raunchy as men.

Ibiza is the latest film to follow in the trend of these comedies. While it doesn’t hold the same weight as the aforementioned films, it’s still a fun little watch when you need some distraction or have some down time.

Simple and lighthearted…Is that all you need?

Have you ever wanted a dream vacation, but didn’t have the time, money, or an excuse? At the suggestion of her pushy boss Sarah (Michaela Watkins), Harper (Gillian Jacobs) is forced to go on a trip to Barcelona to secure a public relations deal with a Sangria company. Sarah recommends Harper for the trip because of her time at the company, and the fact that she needed to loosen up. Upon the news of Harper’s business trip, her friends Nikki (Vanessa Bayer) and Leah (Phoebe Robinson) decide to tag along despite Harper’s objections.

When the trio reaches Barcelona, Sarah and Leah decide to drag Harper to a club for a night of drugs, sexual exploration, and partying. At the club, Harper meets a handsome DJ named Leo West (Richard Madden) who notices Harper due to an inappropriate drawing on her face. The two hit it off, and the the remainder of Harper’s trip is spent trying to find Leo.

On a whim, Harper decides to hop on a plane to Ibiza to meet Leo at his next gig. The biggest obstacle in the film is the fact that Harper has to return to Barcelona the next morning for a business meeting. Much to the disdain of Sarah, Harper enjoys herself a bit too much and puts the business deal in jeopardy.

The plot is pretty light – following Harper, Leah, and Nikki on their whirlwind weekend adventure. The women bounce from party to party, taking drugs, dancing, and constantly encountering generous strangers. Tell me this: Is everyone is Spain really so friendly? If so, I might be making some plans. Ibiza seems to be merely an escapist fantasy. What woman doesn’t want a paid trip with her closest friends to an exotic locale? That’s something I’ve been thinking about pretty recently actually. Ibiza shows that it’s OK to take risks and have a good time. You never know who you will meet or what can happen.

Friendship takes the stage as opposed to romance

One thing that I do like about Ibiza is the fact that while it markets itself as a romance, I really wouldn’t describe it that way. The flirtation between Leo and Harper is cute, but it isn’t much. It’s almost too much of a fairy tale for me. After chasing Leo for the majority of the film, Leo suggests that she visit him in Tokyo. Asking a girl to fly thousands of miles? Now that’s a bit much for someone you just met.

The best interactions in the film are between Harper, Nikki, and Leah. While they are imperfect, Nikki and Leah genuinely care about Harper and are there for her. They encourage her to have fun, and they are there to fix her screw ups. I really enjoyed their nonsense banter. Vanessa Bayer and Pheobe Robinson shine in their roles as they lift Gillian Jacobs up as the heroine of the story. Without them, this film would be pretty bland indeed. I’m pretty glad their friendship is placed above everything else.

Ibiza lacks authenticity which is important for its title

Ibiza‘s biggest faults is its lack of knowledge about Ibiza the island, and the culture that makes it unique. The setting isn’t even authentic, with the majority of the film being shot in Croatia and in random interiors. Wherever the film was shot didn’t capture the true essence of the island, and “Ibiza” merely fades into the background. Ibiza really should have been named something else.

Harper and her friends aren’t even in Ibiza the whole time – over half the weekend is spent in Barcelona! As a film with Ibiza as the title, you would think the story would respect it and the locals more. In fact, the Balearic government threatened legal action against Netflix because of the film’s contradictory filming locations and the clash with the tourism board due to its perpetuation of negative stereotypes.

Ibiza is known as a paradise for EDM music lovers with its abundance of clubs, parties, and Mediterranean landscape. Ibiza does little justice for the island. The music featured in the film is pretty generic too. If the production team couldn’t afford to shoot in the real Ibiza, they definitely couldn’t afford to feature better music in the film.

The girls hop from club to club, but this does little to progress or enhance the plot. Perhaps the film could have been helped by featuring some of Ibiza’s legendary clubs, or even real DJs and awesome dance music? The island has hosts some of the world’s best DJs after all. Leo West is cute, but isn’t selling that he’s on the top of his game.

A story well done way better in other films

While Ibiza is not a bad film, it pales in comparison to other films in the same category. Raunchy girls’ trips have been done spectacularly in films such as Bridesmaids, Girls Trip, and even Rough Night. So Ibiza is not really anything special or new.

With its amazing comedic cast, it definitely could have gone farther for laughs. The film merely seems to be a piggybacking on the latest trend in comedy. Perhaps it’s a good thing that it was released on Netflix. If you’re stuck at home and need something to watch, maybe Ibiza might be for you if you want to escape reality for a little while.

Did you enjoy Ibiza? How does it stack up against other raunchy comedies?

Ibiza is available on Netflix beginning May 25th. For more release information, visit the IMDB page.