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The bone-deep greatness of Hannah Waddingham so that, I suspect, he could talk most of us into a burning car if he wanted to. So selling viewers on the fun visuals of the comedy caper Ride or Die is a temporary task. Waddingham plays Whiptail, a 20-odd-year-old serial killer whose career has recently become more interesting than his bosses. Octavia Spencer (who is a comedy god in my heart because of her small role as Tracy Morgan’s nemesis in 30 Rock) is Debbie’s best friend. Debbie knows Whiptail as Judith, a forensic accountant, and she does not know that behind the woman relies on laughter, motivation and the latest articles in the book club book she has not read and is a trained killer.
Debbie is married to David (Jamie Parker), a politician, and is the gentle force behind her throne. His personal and professional life has been shaped and changed by him for the past 25 years, and now he is on the verge of becoming the next prime minister.
Both women’s lives fall into chaos at the same time. Whiptail’s boss Sam (Calam Lynch, a well-rounded young actor) calls him in to discuss senior management’s concerns about his latest work. “Is it,” he says mischievously, “because you’re 50?” He heard that women of this age could start playing the game, and pushed a Patek Philippe watch to him as a retirement gift “if you want”. Or they can do the next job perfectly and continue working. Whiptail makes it clear that Waddingham is on good terms with him, pushes the clock to a nearby homeless man and goes through his boss’s HQ to find The Director (Bill Nighy), then Waddinghams too. In the end, however, he reluctantly agrees to give up gangster Billy Donovan (Ed Skrein) by poisoning him (“Cowardly!
Debbie and David are also at the gala. On the way, David announces that he wants a divorce. “We’ve had a good innings! Chin up, don’t make a scene.” Debbie takes a shot of tequila while Whiptail, having failed to kill Billy wisely, begins to plan his way to another death. He loses his target but gets bloodshed by someone else. David is one of many killed, and a taunting postcard is left behind for Whiptail to find. Now they have to find the crippled Debbie to safety – when Waddingham chases down the attacker without breaking her will forever be in my mind – and make sure WTF is going on. So is Debbie.
Like I say, stupid. But very interesting. Everything depends on Waddingham and Spencer’s chemistry and it’s a beautiful thing. They confirm as friends. In particular, they prove to be middle-aged friends who have been friends for a long time. Belly laughs together. He has a unique sense of humor. They just find each other. When Debbie discovers Judith’s secret, it’s not the murder that worries her so much as the betrayal. While he’s just serving burger gherkins to Judith, he wants to know how real their friendship can be.
It’s a symbol of Ride or Die success that you don’t realize until it’s over how unusual it is. Fifty two players playing fifty roles that allow them to be funny, interesting heroes? This uses their age not as a punchline but as a tool to change the story and elevate a daft caper into a light-hearted commentary on women’s middle age? Debbie and Judith find that the world is against them, thinking that they are inadequate, they deny all the evidence to the contrary, forcing them to be invisible. It will sound like everyone is hitting HRT patches and wondering which of the crowd they should kill. The real difference between us and Judith is that we don’t have the ability to follow through.
When the two investigate who is playing with Whiptail and who killed David and why, there are many incidents (and in Waddingham we have, for once, a woman who seems dangerous to others), a lot of laughter, sometimes love and heart given to the whole thing and the friendship between them is slowly growing after the breakup, now Debbie knows everything. And there’s a similar joy in seeing two actors insult each other and throw themselves into rare and unexpected roles that should and are elevated by their talent. It’s the perimenopausal comedy thriller caper of your dreams, but one that everyone can enjoy. Find Waddinghammed. You know you want to.
