Sour Party – Anchor Bay Entertainment (Blu-ray)

Release Date: USA, 2023
Directors: Amanda Drexton, Michael A. Drexton
Writers: Amanda Drexton, Michael A. Drexton, Samantha Westervelt
Cast: Samantha Westervelt, Amanda Drexton, Nathan Owen, Ceciley Jenkins, Scott Monahan, Douglas Bennett, Augie Duke, Fredrica Duke, Corey Feldman, Caitlin Leahy, Callista McMaye, Christopher Rodriguez Marquette, Evan Vincent Washington, Reggie Watts

Release Date: June 10th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 55 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.95

"Gwen and James are two broke, self absorbed, emotionally stunted 30-somethings, eking their way through a meager LA existence. They've tried everything to get rich quick from cliche artistic endeavors and failed business startups to sex work, playing the victims all the way. When Gwen realizes she forgot her older sister's baby shower the night before, she's determined to save face in front of her family and get her sister a proper gift... from the registry. After putting their heads together, Gwen and James assemble a list of people they believe owe them money and set out on a twisted road trip across Los Angeles in an attempt to collect on their debts." – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4/5

Sour Party comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 14.5 GB

Feature: 13.9 GB

Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is very good.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDH and removable Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a featurette titled Sour Party: Video Yearbook (3 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with actress/screenwriter/co-director Amanda Drexton, screenwriter/co-director Michael A. Drexton, actress/screenwriter Samantha Westervelt, and cinematographer Steven Moreno.

Summary:

The creative force behind Sour Party is three people: Michael A. Drexton, Amanda Drexton, and Samantha Westervelt. In the case of the latter two, they portray the two leads, James and Gwen.

Gwen and James are two broke 30-somethings who quickly need cash for Gwen’s sister's baby shower present. They try to recover money from those who owe them, and in the process they embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Sour Party is a film where either you latch onto its main characters or you will not enjoy the ride. Gwen is the more dominant of these two characters; she makes the choices, and James, the more passive of the two, goes along with her outrageous schemes. Though both of their lives are in disarray, Gwen sees herself in a totally different light than what others around her see. Gwen is an unreliable slacker, and yet she desperately wants her family to see her as a responsible person.

Being that Sour Party is a character-driven film, when it comes to its two leads, their enthusiasm is infectious. Though their performances overshadow the rest of the cast, everyone is convincing in their roles. The most notable cast member is Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys), who portrays Leslie, a James Jones-like cult leader.

Sour Party is a film where comedy plays a significant role, and most of the humor revolves around the outrageous situations Gwen and James put themselves in; some of the humor comes from society's latest trends and buzzwords. That said, the humor is hit or miss, mostly falling into the latter. The most memorable moment is an impromptu dance number where Gwen and James, dressed in bathing suits, fart, and different colors of smoke come out. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings Sour Party is a fun film that fans of subversive humor will enjoy.

Sour Party gets a first-rate release from Anchor Bay Entertainment that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary.

Written by Michael Den Boer