[CFF ’23] ‘Sour Party’ review: More than just another road trip movie

Sour Party (making its World Premiere at the Chattanooga Film Festival) is something of a mini road trip movie. Gwen (Samantha Westervelt) and James (Amanda Drexton) are roommates who are just getting by in life. When Gwen is reminded that her sister’s baby shower is the next day, the two go on a wacky quest to get the money they need for the perfect gift.

It kind of sounds like the plot for an episode of a sitcom, and some of the situations they come across do end quickly. For the most part, Sour Party is a well paced film. The opening begins with a silly premise that leads into a well done animated intro that prepares audiences for what is coming.

Sour Party is a lot to take in. The majority takes place over the course of a few hours and lots of characters are introduced. As expected, they get increasingly more wacky. Aside from a cameo from Corey Feldman as the leader of a cult, none of them are very memorable, however. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing since the main focus of the story is Gwen and James. Where similar movies focus on the hijinks while basically giving an overview of its leads, Sour Party is essentially a character study of the two friends. Their adventure includes some outlandish moments, but this is their story.

This is most apparent in the final thirty minutes when things become more serious. Sour Party never loses its sense of fun, but the third act includes much more introspection. Throughout the entire film, the script is constantly reminding the viewer Gwen and Stacy are two people who are trying to find themselves. It is a nice touch that separates it from a run of the mill road movie.

The Chattanooga Film Festival takes place June 23 – 29