Jennifer Aniston buzz meets Jon Hamm in new comedy reviews
DIRECT ANSWER 40-60 words Jennifer Aniston followers tracking Hollywood satire have a fresh theater release to watch: critics are sizing up Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, David Wain's R-rated comedy in which a Kansas fiancé uses his celebrity free pass and Zoey Deutch races to Los Angeles to even the score with Jon Hamm.
The New York Times and Associated Press reviews land as Sony Pictures Classics puts the film in theaters, giving audiences a rare mid-budget absurd comedy during a crowded summer box-office weekend.
Key Takeaways
- Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass opened in theaters July 10, 2026, rated R and running 93 minutes.
- AP critic Lindsey Bahr awards the film two and a half stars out of four, praising its commitment to absurdity.
- The New York Times' Jeannette Catsoulis calls it a cheerfully corny, refreshingly ridiculous caper built around Jon Hamm.
- Co-writers David Wain and Ken Marino drafted the screenplay in a disciplined seven-day sprint, per IndieWire.
What is 'Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass'?
Directed by David Wain and co-written with Ken Marino, the film follows Gail, a wide-eyed Kansas hairdresser played by Zoey Deutch, who has never even heard of a celebrity free pass until her fiancé uses his almost immediately. Shocked, she embarks on what the Associated Press describes as a Wizard of Oz-like journey to Hollywood to sleep with her own pass: Jon Hamm, the man who played Don Draper.
Like Wain's Wet Hot American Summer, the comedy treats Hollywood and celebrity culture as heightened, anarchic territory. Gail picks up companions along the way, including John Slattery as a sadder comic version of himself whose texts to his former Mad Men co-star go mostly unanswered.
Why are critics focused on Jon Hamm?
The New York Times review headline, Hamming It Up, signals where much of the praise lands. Jeannette Catsoulis writes that the film is a cheerfully corny, sometimes surreal caper with a whiff of cynicism beneath the buffoonery, and that she fully enjoyed being in its refreshingly ridiculous world for 93 minutes.
AP's Lindsey Bahr similarly centers Hamm's role as Gail's celebrity target, noting that halfway through the extremely silly film, Gail herself questions the logic of her quest. Even when jokes miss, Bahr writes, there is still joy in the movie's wholehearted commitment to absurdity.
How was the screenplay written in just seven days?
Speaking at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, Wain and Marino said they produced the first draft in seven days, working from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. without interruption. Marino called it their third successful seven-day exercise after The Ten (2007) and Wanderlust (2012), starting with no concept on day one.
They did not reach out to Hamm or Slattery until after that sprint, IndieWire reported, treating the week-long draft as a jump-start for years of retooling. For more celebrity breaking news, the film's limited release marks a notable moment for star-driven indie comedy.
Should you see it in theaters?
Bahr rates the Sony Pictures Classics release two and a half stars out of four, citing Richard Kind's taxi-driver warning about Hollywood fantasies and an earnestly loving wink at Los Angeles locations from the Chateau Marmont to less picturesque streets. Catsoulis ends on a simpler verdict: more dumb comedies, please.
Whether you are following Jennifer Aniston headlines or just want a raunchy Wizard of Oz riff, critics agree the movie works best when its celebrities lean into self-aware buffoonery rather than logic.