A bridesmaid, who happens to be a secret agent, takes matters into her own hands when mercenaries crash her best friend’s wedding in Bride Hard. Sam (Rebel Wilson) is the Maid of Honour for her childhood best friend Betsy (Anna Camp). The two gather in Paris for Betsy’s bachelorette, along with her college roommates Lydia (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Zoe (Gigi Zumbado), and future sister-in-law Virginia (Anna Chlumsky). The latter has been taking on most of the wedding planning, as Sam was busy with work. As it turns out, Sam’s work is as a secret agent, and she has to sneak away from the bachelorette after her handler Nadine (Sherry Cola) arrives, telling her an operation has been moved up to that night.
Sam’s disappearance during the bachelorette results in Sam losing the title of Maid of Honour to Virginia. However, Sam still begrudgingly shows up to the wedding at the groom Ryan’s (Sam Huntington) family’s island mansion in Georgia, and she exchanges flirtations with the Best Man, Chris (Justin Hartley). However, as the wedding is getting underway, a group of armed mercenaries led by Kurt (Stephen Dorff) crash the festivities, intent on stealing a stash of gold in the mansion. It is up to Sam to put her secret agent skills to use to save her best friend.
Bride Hard Synopsis
Bride Hard is an action-comedy directed by Simon West (Con Air, Expendables 2) and is a reunion of sorts for stars Rebel Wilson and Anna Camp, both of whom were part of the ensemble of the Pitch Perfect films. Wilson plays Sam, whose life as a secret agent has put a strain on her friendship with Camp’s character of Betsy. This results in Betsy’s future sister-in-law, Virginia, played by Anna Chlumsky, swooping in and stealing the title of Maid of Honour, resulting in Sam being a third wheel when she is convinced by her handler Nadine, played by Sherry Cola (Joy Ride), to still show up to fulfil her bridesmaid duties.
Just as the wedding ceremony is about to get going, the entire wedding party is taken hostage by a mercenary team led by Kurt, played by Stephen Dorff. As Sam was told to leave after an argument with Betsy, she was not around when the mercenaries arrived. This allows Sam to use her skills as a secret agent to save the wedding.
My Thoughts on Bride Hard
It is not very subtle that the plot of Bride Hard crosses the premise of Bridesmaids, a film in which a pre-fame Rebel Wilson had a small role, with that of Die Hard. Aside from quickly revealing that Wilson’s Sam is a secret agent, the first act of Bride Hard sets up a typical chick flick premise, suggesting that Sam is going to be competing with Anna Chlumsky’s Virginia for the role of Maid of Honour, and possibly also for the affections of the Best Man Chris, played by Justin Hartley. However, when the mercenaries disrupt the wedding, Bride Hard quickly transitions into an action-comedy.
The career of Rebel Wilson has been very hit or miss since her breakthrough role as “Fat Amy” in the Pitch Perfect films. In some ways, Bride Hard is trying to cash in on the appeal of those films by casting Wilson opposite Anna Camp, who also hasn’t done much notable since the Pitch Perfect films. Arguably, the most relevant person in the ensemble cast is Da’Vine Joy Randolph, with this being one of her first film roles after winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Holdovers. That said, her character does end up being a bit one-note.
When it is all said and done, Bride Hard is the film that it is advertised to be. While the film may not succeed at replicating the success of Bridesmaids, the film still ends up being a solid star vehicle for Rebel Wilson.
Trailer for Bride Hard
