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Indian viewers will remember how, in the 2014 hit Queen, Kangana Ranaut’s character went on her honeymoon to Paris alone after her fiancé dumped her two days before their wedding. Why waste an expensive vacation, right? Well, in the 2025 French comedy Honeymoon Crasher (Lune de miel avec ma mère), Julien Frison’s Lucas takes a similar approach – but with an unexpected plus-one. After being left at the altar, he brings his mother, Lily (Michèle Laroque), on his honeymoon to Mauritius. But in a bizarre twist, to take full advantage of the honeymoon package benefits, Lily lets the resort manager believe she and Lucas are a married couple. This little deception lands them a free upgrade to a luxurious suite with a stunning ocean view. The result? A weird, weird comedy filled with unfunny poop jokes, awkward dance face-offs, and a surprisingly wholesome ending.
Directed by Nicholas Cuche, Honeymoon Crasher kicks off with a church wedding, where Lucas is ready to marry his fiancée. Just as she’s about to say “I do,” her ex-boyfriend calls, and she runs off, leaving Lucas humiliated. The ensuing chaos isn’t as hilarious as the filmmakers intend, though it does manage to be mildly comedic.
Michèle Laroque is effortlessly entertaining as Lily, Lucas’ overenthusiastic mother, who initially jokes about joining him on the honeymoon but ends up tagging along for real. Having spent her life as a devoted wife and mother, she has never been on an international vacation since getting married. While Lucas is heartbroken, Lily is thrilled to be at a scenic beach resort. Rossy de Palma plays Gloria, the resort manager who misinterprets their relationship and is delighted to see a young man with a much older wife. In celebration of their “unique” love story, she grants them the fanciest suite in the resort, complete with VIP perks – including a private chef. The mother and son must keep up the charade, leading to several comedic situations, and a choppy pace.
Julien Frison delivers a hit-or-miss performance as Lucas, an overgrown mama’s boy in complete denial about his dependence on his parents. While he finds it deeply unsettling to pretend he’s married to his mother just for a better hotel room, Lily has the time of her life enjoying vacation activities. It’s Michèle Laroque’s effortless charm and confidence that prevent the film’s awkward premise from veering into outright discomfort. As expected, mother and son argue and clash, but they also find ways to reconnect and bond by the end.
A minor romantic subplot follows Lucas’ interest in Maya (Margot Bancilhon), a local tour guide. While it starts off as a cliché, the film thankfully avoids a conventional rom-com conclusion. However, one of the most uncomfortable moments comes early on when Lucas asks to take a picture with Maya for social media and then proceeds to hold her without permission. The film acknowledges Maya’s discomfort but bizarrely frames the moment as comedic. Not cool. Luckily for Lucas, Maya eventually warms up to him -though his behavior in their first interaction was borderline harassment.
Despite the romantic angle, Honeymoon Crasher remains primarily about Lucas and Lily’s evolving relationship as they confront some hard truths. Of course, since this is a comedy, it never dives too deep into Lucas’ mommy issues or Lily’s overbearing tendencies. Instead, the film wraps up on a lighthearted, feel-good note, giving both characters a satisfying resolution.
Rating: 5/10. The film is streaming on Netflix.
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