The Wasteland Reviewer

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (2026) Written Review

How do you shake up the crime-comedy genre in the year 2026? When you are well over 100 years into the evolution of an art form, you begin to struggle with keeping things fresh and taking genres and stories in new directions. But a good, well-executed genre mash-up is certainly one of the most exciting ways to do so. That is exactly what is done with the crime thriller as plenty of comedy and science fiction are injected into this new Hulu streaming release, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. Director BenDavid Grabinski brings together a stacked cast of talented actors to bring this wild ride to life over the course of one evening. 

What does Grabinski bring to the experience from behind the camera? One of the most important elements of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice’s success is delivering on the variety of genres and not feeling disjointed. The science fiction elements are mostly low key and not too intrusive tonally (but they do make two Vince Vaughn’s on screen look impeccable so praise for that). Those elements are leveraged for a few significant emotional beats and Grabinski’s and his performers nail it. The comedy hits quite consistently with a nice range of sharp dialogue, silly banter, sight gags, and physical comedy. The action is bold, brutal, bloody, fun, and well realized on screen (especially the impressive climactic shootout that feels quite satisfying. The film finds some decent heart along the way too which helps with nailing some of the more emotional moments of the film. One of the most fun elements of the film certainly are all the needle drops which were expertly selected and accentuate the scenes quite well. 

How does Grabinski’s screenplay match his directorial effort? Overall, the story deals with some common tropes you might find in a crime tale. There are hitmen, framings, and adulterers. Mike’s life is on the line and a future version of his partner, Nick, comes to save him from a ruthless cannibal hitman. Mike, two versions of Nick, and Alice (Nick’s wife and Mike’s lover) must team up to save Mike over the course of the night their boss throws a coming home party for his adopted son, who was just released from prison. There are some good shocks, twists, and revelations that materialize through the time travel and crime elements. There are no big “Themes” but there are some honest and human level themes centered on friendships, romantic relationships, and fatherhood. The script is also full of some hilarious banter and gags (even if some of them fall a little flat as they are a tad too low brow). Overall, this is a solid story with some well fleshed out and engaging characters!

How does the cast stack up? There is plenty of talent in this genre mashup and they are a blast. First off, the double Vince Vaugh is quite excellent. The present version is snarkier and more cold-blooded, but the future version allows Vaugh to show great wisdom, empathy, and a relaxed charm. Vaugh also delivers some of the most important emotional moments of the whole film as well. James Marsden is charming as always and really gets to shine with some physicality. Eiza Gonzalez gets a lot less to work with, but she does shine with her clear charisma and magnetism. Keith David is excellent as the film’s antagonist who is tough, intimidating, funny, and even quite deep at times. There are plenty of fun comic relief turns from Jimmy Tatro, Arturo Castro, Lewis Tan, Stephen Root, Emily Hampshire, and Ben Schwartz (who really hams it up during the film’s opening sequence). 

Did Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice deserve banishment to Hulu? This genre mash-up deserved to get the big screen treatment. The action is exciting and thrilling. There are plenty of laughs to fill up a theater. The cast is excellent and delivers some strong character work. Surprising heart and awesome needle drops make this even more delightful.