Film Review – Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

July 9th, 2026 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Well, at least this film knows what it is and embraces it with full conviction. 

Silly, absurd, crude, ridiculous – these are just a few of the adjectives that describe Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (2026). Director David Wain (who also cowrites with Ken Marino) has delivered a romp that falls in line with his previous work such as They Came Together (2014) and Wet Hot American Summer (2001). While I doubt this latest effort will have the same kind of staying power, the broad tone is still there. This is one of those movies that tries just about anything to see what works. It may not adhere to everyone’s tastes, but if you like your comedy unhinged and zany, this might be right up your alley. 

On paper, Gail Daughtry looks like another run-of-the-mill/straight to the bargain bin type of flick. But what is notable is the sheer amount of big names and faces that appear. It seems Wain and the rest of the production called in a bunch of favors to have as many recognizable celebrities show up, either in cameo roles or as primary players. The titular Gail (Zoey Deutch) is a hairdresser living in suburban Kansas. She is weeks away from marrying her fiancé, Tom (Michael Cassidy). However, things go haywire when the two discuss their “Celebrity Sex Pass” – a celebrity that, if given the opportunity, either Gail or Tom can sleep with without repercussion. At first, Gail thinks the whole idea is a joke, until Tom turns around and hooks up with his pass, Jennifer Aniston. Devastated, Gail flies to Los Angeles with her friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley). She initially travels there for a hairdresser convention but decides that – to save her upcoming marriage – she must sleep with her celebrity pass, Jon Hamm. Because fair is fair, right?

What follows is an epic of minor proportions, as Gail and Otto hop around L.A. trying to track down Hamm’s whereabouts. Along the way, they run into a host of colorful characters. Some pop up for a single scene – such as Richard Kind, Michael Ian Black, Weird Al Yankovic, and many more. Others decide to join in and help with Gail’s mission. These include Vincent (Marino), a paparazzo who considers taking a pic of Hamm as his “White Whale,” Caleb (Ben Wang) who was recently fired from his job at a talent agency, and John Slattery as himself, the one big lead the group has at contacting Hamm. Slattery’s involvement is one of the funnier running gags. In case you didn’t know, Hamm and Slattery worked together for years on the show Mad Men. In the universe of the film, Hamm went on to have a big career after the show ended, whereas Slattery was left struggling to make ends meet. Some of the biggest laughs has Slattery trying to reconnect with Hamm to little avail. We see him looking at his phone with non-stop text messages he sent to Hamm without any response. Slattery adds a cartoonish level of self-awareness to the narrative with his presence alone. 

But having actors like Slattery and Hamm playing exaggerated versions of themselves is not enough to make the film successful. The writing and direction undercut the narrative by the sheer number of gags, punchlines, and slapstick jokes. Some of these are humorous, like when Gail and Otto ask a hotel clerk for some recommendations for L.A. landmarks, and they provide locations like “McDonalds” or “7/11.” However, a lot of it falls on its face, such as when the gang defends themselves by taking their clothes off and flinging it at their assailants. There’s also an entire side story involving a criminal boss (Sabrina Impacciatore), a mysterious briefcase, and her henchmen (Joe Lo Truglio/Mather Zickel) tracking Gail and her friends for nefarious reasons. These bits are neither funny or entertaining, and makes the entire production feel a little too scatterbrained.

While I was never the biggest fan of They Came Together or Wet Hot American Summer, an admittedly strong aspect of both was their satire. Both were perceptive in the way they subverted the tropes of their given genres. They Came Together poked fun at the rom-com, whereas Wet Hot satirized coming-of-age films, teen comedies, and just about any movie involving a summer camp. This element is sorely lacking in Gail Daughtry. On paper, it seems like a send up of L.A. culture and the movie-making machine that is Hollywood. We visit several famous spots, including Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Chateau Marmont hotel. There are plenty of ludicrous scenarios where our group talk to agents, bodyguards, visit movie sets, pitch story ideas, and interact with stars. Unfortunately, all of it rings hollow. There is no real insight into any of it – the story plays out as loosely connected episodes that act more like time filler than legitimate world or character building. The narrative sets up the promise of Gail crossing paths with Jon Hamm and then goes around in circles before getting there.

The shining light of the entire film is Zoey Deutch as Gail. Deutch is a talented actor with a wide skillset – able to handle dramatic and comedic material with ease. Here, she plays Gail as a ray of sunshine: bubbly and optimistic, but with a determination that can make us believe her cause is a worthy one. When Gail learns that Tom hooked up with his celebrity pass, she is obviously distraught, but Deutch never allows the character to dive off the deep end. Instead, she hops back up, dusts herself off, and continues forward undeterred. Even though the notion of having sex with Jon Hamm is farfetched, Deutch is so good at making Gail believe in her goal that we the audience start to believe right along with her. She can say the most insane lines of dialogue or commit reckless acts of abandon, yet somehow, she convinces us that Gail would do such things. It’s not easy playing this type of character, but Deutch meets the challenge with unbridled dedication. 

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass has some good things going for it, but the overall film is a letdown. There are too many unfunny jokes, too many gags that don’t hit as well as they were meant to, and the main story meanders around for too long. This is a case of quantity over quality, where the comedy comes fast and furious but only occasionally induces a laugh. Those that made the movie may have had a lot of fun doing so, but that feeling didn’t quite translate on screen. I’m glad I saw it, but I don’t think I’ll ever have the urge to revisit it again.

Ben Wang, David Wain, Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, Jennifer Aniston, Joe Lo Truglio, John Slattery, Jon Hamm, Ken Marino, Mad Men, Mather Zickel, Michael Cassidy, Michael Ian Black, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Richard Kind, Sabrina Impacciatore, They Came Together, Weird Al Yankovic, Wet Hot American Summer, Zoey Deutch