Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Raunchy bachelor party-planning tale; sex, drugs, cursing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Budapest
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When Arnaud (Jonathan Cohen) and Vincent (Mayu Payet) can't get into an exclusive Parisian night club for a bachelor party, they decide to create their own bachelor party service, sending young French guys for weekends of sexual and adventurous revelry in BUDAPEST, the Hungarian city with a reputation for cheap and uncensored entertainment. They quit their dull jobs, tell their remarkably supportive wives, and embark on providing sex, drugs, and hot air ballooning with beautiful girls for Parisian men with disposable incomes. Wild and crazy Georgio (Monsieur Poulpe) is the Budapest-based host who knows all the legal and illegal entertainments in the city. He takes them to a shooting range where the owner offers to let them chase and kill one of his employees for a fee. Shooting cars with automatic weapons with hot "chicks" is offered, as well as the joy of being jumped by attack dogs. Vincent and Arnaud both wrestle with sexual temptation, and succumbing nearly ends their friendship, their marriages, and the company.
Is It Any Good?
The frenetic pacing of this movie matches the snarky humor, as profanity-laced one-liners fly by, some funny and others just raunchy. Budapest means to bask in the lowness of humanity; for example, one lead character proudly insists his dishonesty serves others. No doubt, many people live by such a philosophy, but this creates a likability problem that some viewers, no matter what age, may have trouble getting past. Though two married men lose their marriages over infidelities, one manages to glue things back together, while the other, still devoutly dishonest, is left in the cold. Older teens may enjoy the anarchy of two middle-age guys struggling to enjoy their lives before it's too late, but the idea that men have to behave like naughty boys in order to have a good time is questionable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the urge for revelry that seems built in to some people's hardwiring. When you first hear the idea for a business that will exploit such urges, do you assume the business will fail or succeed? Why?
Arnaud believes in lying to his wife and Vincent believes in always telling the truth. Which philosophy seems more sound to you? Why?
Budapest presents a full table of sexual proclivities and choices adults might make, all of which are catered to at a night club/sex club. What is the movie's attitude toward sex and drugs? How can you tell? Do you have the same opinion? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 1, 2019
- Cast : Manu Payet , Jonathan Cohen , Monsieur Poulpe , Alice Beladi , Alix Poisson
- Director : Xavier Gens
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 12, 2022
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