This article is jointly published with The Daily Utah Chronicle as part of collaborative coverage of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

“Gail Daughtry And The Celebrity Sex Pass” is written and directed by David Wain and co-written by Ken Marino, and premiered on Jan. 25 at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

An odd inciting incident 

The premise of “Gail Daughtry And The Celebrity Sex Pass” is a simple one: Gail, played by Zoey Deutch, has a joking conversation with her fiancé about who his celebrity pass would be. He proceeds to take the conversation rather literally and uses his pass only a few minutes later. Understandably needing some space, Gail goes on a trip to L.A. with her best friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) and is told by a psychic that in order to balance things out, she must seek out her celebrity pass, John Hamm.

Not in Kansas anymore

What follows is an absolutely insane comedic adventure consisting of hijinks, the Italian mob, and a slightly insane European hairdresser. This film is a comedy first and foremost, and in that, it completely and utterly succeeds. It leans into absurd humor, quick wit, and all the other hallmarks of a great comedic film. The setting of the story, L.A., is not just a city, but a wonderland of celebrity personalities and bizarre side characters. This sense of magic is only enhanced upon realizing that this film is an homage to “The Wizard of Oz,” with many of the characters reflecting each other. 

In a way, it’s clear that the movie is a love letter to, well, movies! Filmed on location in L.A, exploring aspects of the filmmaking world, showing off iconic landmarks such as The Chinese Theater, there is a deep appreciation for the art of filmmaking and everything that goes into it. The Oz parallels are also used well, as every character that aids Gail in her journey gets a moment to shine. 

With that in mind, the film shows a clear willingness to experiment. The music will often switch from a light melody to an oppressive opera that sounds more at home in a horror film, and scenes will flip about with narration and quick cuts. There are also moments of gore scattered throughout, but they are so over the top that there’s really no choice but to laugh at them. This film keeps its tone light, moves fast and is unpredictable in the best way possible.

Experience it for yourself

This is a film that knows what it is and knows exactly what it wants to do. It does not take itself even remotely seriously, and that’s a good thing. By not being held back by frivolous things like logic and common sense, it goes all in on the comedy. It is not lacking in story either. It’s very easy to find yourself rooting for Gail as she not only draws closer to the elusive John Hamm, but also as she gets to finally live a life untethered from a man she has known since high school. Though it’s not anything new, the sheer wackiness going on makes all the emotions feel more genuine than if it were all played straight.

Viewing information about “Gail Daughtry And The Celebrity Sex Pass” can be found here.