The main appeal for me to see Quiz Lady is the dynamic duo of Sandra Oh and Awkwafina, and these two talented comediennes are indeed so fun to watch as estranged sisters. Awkwafina plays against type (well sort of) as an uptight introvert Anne Yum who’s obsessed with a game show a la Jeopardy called Can’t Stop The Quiz. Anne lives a rigidly routine life with her 20-year-old pug Mr. Linguini, that is until her mother runs away from her senior living facility and her hot mess of a sister Jenny moves in with her. Sandra Oh revels in her potent comedic chops as Jenny, who’s a polar opposite to Anne in pretty much every way. The only thing they have in common is their absentee mother who left both of them with her sizable gambling debt.

The title refers to a moniker Jenny gives Anne in the viral videos she took of her sister spewing out one correct answer after another as she watches the quiz show. While Jenny is thrilled that the video’s gone viral, Anne is mortified that she can no longer be ‘invisible,’ including at her workplace, now that everyone knows who she is. Everyone including the mob boss finds Anne in her office to collect her mother’s extensive debt. Jenny is so adamant for Anne to be the Quiz Show’s contestant that she’d go so far as kidnapping her. Jenny’s bizarre behavior and all her manifesting are decidedly over the top but Oh is so darn likable that Jenny is never unpleasant. In fact, all of the sisterly constant squabble and bickering are pretty hilarious. When they have to share a room at the Benjamin Franklin-themed hotel is comical, with Tony Hale playing the concierge dressed as Ben Franklin.

Kudos to director Jessica Yu and screenwriter Jen D’Angelo for pulling all the stops in crafting a riotous comedy, even boldly poking fun at some of the Asian stereotypes and the Korean-American immigrant experience. The two leads make the funny one-liners come alive with their droll delivery, and there are plenty of fun quotable lines in this movie. ‘This is Eastern medicine, so get with the times, Big Pharma.’ Jenny quips to Anne’s fellow contestant during the audition scene. The bit when Anne gets high during the show’s audition thanks to Jenny’s relaxant pills has got to be the craziest and funniest bits of the movie. Yu gets quite creative in illustrating Anne’s imaginative happy bubble and Awkwafina absolutely kills it in that scene.

These two are such comedic gold and I’m glad that the material is worthy of their chops. This is perhaps my favorite Awkwafina’s comedic performance since Crazy Rich Asians. I’m surprised but delighted that Will Ferrell doesn’t steal their thunder as the show’s host Terry McTeer. Ferrell is naturally funny but his performance is wonderfully restrained while still maintaining his goofball nature. I love the brief but important conversation between Terry and Anne by the wall of bowties. There’s a cordial and warm vibe to Terry that’s clearly a tribute to Jeopardy’s late host Alex Trebek.

Jason Schwartzman as the show’s annoying perpetual winner and Holland Taylor as Anne’s neighbor from hell are pretty memorable in their brief appearances. There’s even a hilarious gag about Paul Ruben being mistaken for Alan Cumming, which was apparently true in real life. Ruben’s final role (cameo) is an amusingly bittersweet one.

Quiz Lady is wonderfully fun, kooky, and entertaining from start to finish. The quiz show premise lends itself to comedic situations and the talented filmmakers + cast truly deliver the laughs. There’s a re-watchable quality about this one too, as I surely don’t mind watching this again in the future.

Quiz Lady is currently streaming on HULU

Have you seen QUIZ LADY? Let me know what you think!

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