Spa Weekend (2026) Review: Scott Moore’s Tense Thriller

Jane (Leslie Mann), Coco (Michelle Buteau), Sophie (Anna Faris), and Mel (Isla Fisher) are lifelong friends, but life has pulled them in different directions. Jane is a perfectionist mom drowning in PTA meetings, Coco is a high-powered career woman hiding her exhaustion behind designer suits, Sophie is a free-spirit now weighed down by a faltering marriage, and Mel is a devoted nurse who’s forgotten her own name in the pursuit of caring for others. Realizing they’ve lost the thread of their friendship and any semblance of self-care, they spontaneously book a weekend at a swanky, mountainside luxury spa called "Nirvana Springs." The plan is simple: detox, meditate, and reconnect. But from the moment they arrive, with their overpriced kombucha and matching robes, the universe - and their own bad decision-making - has other plans. What follows is a series of escalating hijinks involving a suspiciously handsome yoga instructor (Adam Demos), a stolen luxury car, a very ill-advised ayahuasca ceremony, and enough passive-aggressive sniping to fill a wellness podcast.

The film lives and dies on its cast, and thankfully, they are in perfect sync. Mann brings her signature blend of wide-eyed neurosis and physical comedy to Jane, the group's anxious anchor. Buteau is the absolute MVP as Coco, delivering every brutally honest, foul-mouthed observation with impeccable timing and a thunderous laugh that fills the cinema. Faris, returning to her comedic roots, is delightfully unhinged as Sophie, a woman whose attempts at “finding herself” usually involve finding trouble. Fisher rounds out the quartet as the sweet, downtrodden Mel, and her arc provides the film's most genuinely moving moments, proving she can turn a punchline into a tear-jerker in the span of a single scene. Their rapport feels genuine; you believe these are women with decades of shared history.

Director Scott Moore, known for his writing on comedies like Bad Moms, knows how to structure a raunchy, R-rated romp. The pacing is brisk, ensuring the 97-minute runtime flies by. The jokes are rapid-fire and often land, from slapstick mishaps with hot stones to sharply observed digs at wellness culture and its pretentiousness. The spa setting, "Nirvana Springs," is the perfect backdrop, its serene minimalism a stark and funny contrast to the emotional wreckage the four friends leave in their wake. Erika Heynatz is perfectly smug as the zen master Shanti, and Courtney Clarke adds a nice layer of awkward comedy as the overly earnest Ayurveda expert.

Where the film stumbles is in its adherence to formula. The third-act conflict, where a silly misunderstanding threatens to tear the friends apart, feels forced and underserved. It’s a genre requirement, but it momentarily deflates the momentum the film has built up. You also know exactly where every character’s journey is heading from the first five minutes, but the film doesn't seem to mind, and neither will most audiences. It’s less about the destination and more about the gloriously messy ride to get there. The script never becomes truly sharp or subversive enough to elevate it beyond its familiar trappings, but it’s so good-natured and well-executed that it’s easy to forgive its predictability.

Pros

• Nonstop, laugh-out-loud chemistry between the four leads.
• Michelle Buteau is an absolute force of nature.
• A perfect blend of raunchy comedy and heartfelt moments.
• Brisk, well-paced runtime that never overstays its welcome.
• Great comedic use of the luxury spa setting.

Cons

• The plot is utterly predictable and follows the formula to a tee.
• The third-act conflict feels contrived and resolvable with a single conversation.
• Some supporting characters, like Adam Demos’s love interest, are underwritten.

Spa Weekend is the comedic equivalent of a deep-tissue massage: it’s occasionally painful, often uncomfortable, but ultimately leaves you feeling wonderfully, blissfully lightheaded. It won’t win any awards for originality, and the story is as flimsy as a paper robe, but when the jokes land this consistently and the four leads are this wonderfully watchable, it’s hard to care. It’s a film that celebrates the messy, imperfect, and utterly necessary bonds of female friendship. If you’re looking for a fun, raucous night out that feels like a much-needed break from the news cycle, this is your ticket. It’s the perfect excuse to gather your own friends and take a break from reality, even if only for 97 minutes.