Seth Rogen might just win the award for All-Time-Great Drug-Tripping Performance in The Night Before, a very funny holiday film from director Jonathan Levine.
Rogen and Anthony Mackie play Isaac and Chris, best friends to Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who lost his parents when he was young. Since the death of Ethan’s parents, the three have gathered every Christmas Eve to celebrate—in rambunctious fashion.
In what is supposed to be their final Christmas Eve journey—Isaac’s wife is having a baby, and Chris is a famous football player—Ethan scores tickets to the wildest party of the year. Rogen spends the majority of the film tripping balls after consuming mushrooms, pot and cocaine (gifts from the wife); he should get some sort of drug-performance Oscar for what he does in this movie.
Michael Shannon shows up as one of the strangest drug-dealers in cinema history; lord knows there have been some strange ones. However, the film gives us the greatest gift of all with Lizzy Caplan as Ethan’s love interest; let’s face it: She’s awesome. Miley Cyrus makes a fun cameo as herself, while somebody else I shall not reveal makes a surprise appearance and steals some scenes.
This one is a nice addition to the holiday movie canon, and Rogen solidifies himself as a stoner hero.
The Night Before is playing at theaters across the valley.
