By Jorge Ignacio Castillo

The Wrong Girls (USA, 2026. Dir: Dylan Meyer): The “stoner buddy comedy” is as formulaic as it is effective: two friends whose reasoning is impaired by copious pot consumption, find themselves in the middle of some kind of criminal endeavour they have unwittingly stumbled into. The potheads stumble their way through a life-threatening situation they could barely understand and come out ahead thanks to sheer luck, villain incompetence, and/or a clear-headed ally, often all three (see Pineapple Express, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, any Jay and Silent Bob movie).

The Wrong Girls tackles the subgenre from a female perspective and the result is… not very different. Alia Shawkat and Kristen Stewart star as the underachieving duo, two twenty-somethings barely making ends meet in the gig economy. Following an ill-advised effort to confront an ex-boyfriend, they get hold of a substance that, in combination with cannabis, gives the user telepathic powers. Make that a pot brownie, and you get telekinesis. Cue a protracted chase across the city featuring colourful characters (Kate McKinnon doing her eccentric scientist thing, Geena Davis for some reason) and two spoiled cats.

Nobody is expecting a stoner comedy to reinvent the wheel and, from that perspective, The Wrong Girls is perfectly watchable. Shawkat and Stewart are quirky and fun, and the telepathic kitties (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani and, who else, Seth Rogen) inner monologue is as catty as expected.

No, the problem with The Wrong Girls is the direction: ropey and borderline incompetent. It’s not even about matching eyelines; the climax is very poorly executed, enough to take you off the movie. McKinnon is allowed free rein while LaKeith Stanfield looks lost. Sometimes you just shouldn’t direct your own script. ★★½☆☆

The Wrong Girls is now playing, everywhere.