is the trip with steve coogan on netflix

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Steve is asked to review restaurants for the UK's Observer who is joined on a working road trip by his friend Rob who fills in at the last minute when Coogan's romantic relationship falls ap... Read all Steve is asked to review restaurants for the UK's Observer who is joined on a working road trip by his friend Rob who fills in at the last minute when Coogan's romantic relationship falls apart. Steve is asked to review restaurants for the UK's Observer who is joined on a working road trip by his friend Rob who fills in at the last minute when Coogan's romantic relationship falls apart.

• Steve Coogan
• Claire Keelan
• 19 User reviews
• 9 Critic reviews
• 82 Metascore
• 2 wins & 7 nominations total

Episodes 24

• Receptionist

• Steve's Father

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Steve Coogan states in his autobiography that he and Rob Brydon both initially disliked the pitch for the series, but went along with it anyway due to their friendship with Michael Winterbottom .
• Alternate versions A 90-minute feature version was shown at film festivals a few months before the screening of the TV series.
• Connections Edited into The Trip (2010)

User reviews 19

• Jason-Boulton
• Nov 29, 2010
• November 1, 2010 (United Kingdom)
• United Kingdom
• The Trip to Italy
• Revolution Films
• Baby Cow Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 52 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

The Trip Is the Funniest Sad Movie on Netflix

By Lincoln Michel

Two struggling middle-age British comedians drive around the dreary moors of England for two hours doing impressions of famous actors. That’s the film. It’s not a concept that should work, but The Trip , starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, is a surprisingly poignant and quite funny movie about growing old, struggling at your career, and navigating male friendships.

If you don’t know who Steve Coogan or Rob Brydon is, well, that’s part of the point. In The Trip , Coogan and Brydon play mid-forties comedians who never really made it, which is to say, they play slightly fictionalized versions of themselves. Brydon is pretty much unknown in the United States, and in England is best known for his impressions and “small-man-in-a-box” voice. Coogan—whose Alan Partridge shows are hilarious—has flirted with Hollywood fame, but if American audiences recognize him it’s probably as the hapless director in Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder . (In The Trip , when Coogan’s agent tells him his career has great momentum, Coogan replies, “You get momentum when you’re going downhill!”)

In The Trip , Coogan the character has been asked by a British newspaper to tour the northern part of England and write about the restaurants and inns. He calls up old friend-that-he-doesn’t-really-like Rob Brydon to tag along. “Why me?” Brydon asks. “I’ve asked other people, but they’re all too busy.” This sets up the dynamic of the trip: Coogan is an arrogant, jealous, and intensely competitive actor who can’t believe he isn’t a star. His love life is on the rocks, and he’s had to ask Brydon because his American girlfriend has fled back to the States. Brydon, on the other hand, is a cheerful, happily married man who just wants to do goofy impressions. Brydon accepts the limits of his fame; Coogan is burning up with bitterness. (“I’d rather be me than you! Because I'd rather have these moments of genius than a lifetime of mediocrity,” Coogan spits out at one point.)

Coogan and Brydon improvise their conversations, which often involves them shouting different Michael Caine impressions at each other. The two comedians riff off each other brilliantly, and also don’t worry about being hilarious all the time. The Trip also manages to function as a travel and food documentary. Director Michael Winterbottom spends much of the time focusing on gorgeous panorama shots of the misty moors of north England, between close-up shots of dishes sizzling in the pan. There’s plenty of sheep and little stone cottages. It’s the perfect film to watch in the background during a lazy four-day weekend. And if you like it, there’s a sequel on Netflix called The Trip to Italy, which is the same thing but, well, set in Italy.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Inside Out 2 Link to Inside Out 2
• The Bikeriders Link to The Bikeriders
• Fancy Dance Link to Fancy Dance

New TV Tonight

• The Bear: Season 3
• That '90s Show: Season 2
• My Lady Jane: Season 1
• Orphan Black: Echoes: Season 1
• Land of Women: Season 1
• Savage Beauty: Season 2
• WondLa: Season 1
• Zombies: The Re-Animated Series: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• The Boys: Season 4
• House of the Dragon: Season 2
• Presumed Innocent: Season 1
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Eric: Season 1
• Gangs of Galicia: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• House of the Dragon: Season 2 Link to House of the Dragon: Season 2
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Poll: Vote for Your Most Anticipated Movie of July

Poll: Vote for Your Most Anticipated TV or Streaming Show of July

• Trending on RT
• 2024's Best Movies
• Most Popular Shows
• July's Anticipated Movies
• Horizon: An American Saga

Where to Watch

Rent The Trip on Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Amiable, funny and sometimes insightful, The Trip works as both a showcase for the enduring chemistry between stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon and an unexpected perusal of men entering mid-life crises.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Michael Winterbottom

Steve Coogan

Paul Popplewell

Margo Stilley

Claire Keelan

More Like This

Related movie news.

Currently available on 6 streaming services .

4 Seasons - 29min

£12.24 / Season

2 Seasons - 29min

7 Days Free

3 Days Free

Watch similar TV shows on Apple TV+ for free

Then £8.99 / month

£12.99 / Season

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Let us notify you once it becomes available on more services

We checked for updates on 114 streaming services on 26 June 2024 at 08:08:19. Something wrong? Let us know!

The Trip - watch online: stream, buy or rent

Currently you are able to watch "The Trip" streaming on Sky Go, ITVX, Now TV or buy it as download on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Sky Store.

Newest Episodes

S4 e6 - the mani to ithaca, s4 e5 - hydra to the mani, s4 e4 - athens to hydra, where does the trip rank today the justwatch daily streaming charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. this includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. this includes data from ~1.3 million movie & tv show fans per day..

Streaming charts last updated: 09:09:49, 26/06/2024

The Trip is 179 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The TV show has moved down the charts by -40 places since yesterday. In the United Kingdom, it is currently more popular than Below Deck Mediterranean but less popular than Trying.

Steve agrees to review six restaurants and takes Rob with him.

Videos: Trailers, Teasers, Featurettes

Streaming Charts The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

Production country

People who liked the trip also liked.

Popular upcoming TV shows

Comedy TV shows coming soon

Similar TV series you can watch for free

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

The Trip Must End

In the final installment of their fictional travel series, steve coogan and rob brydon let us live vicariously one last time..

Though I’ve long been a fan of the Trip films, I was not prepared to get emotional over the announcement of a new one. Learning of the impending May release of The Trip to Greece — the fourth and final entry in the series that follows British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, playing fictional versions of themselves, as they travel lovely roads, eat lovely meals, and do lovely impressions, all the while hilariously sniping at each other over personal and professional matters — led to some complicated feelings. Here was a movie about all the things we can’t do right now, not that most of us could ever really do them: Go for a long car ride in another country with a friend-colleague-rival (at least, that’s how Coogan and Brydon present themselves in these efforts), stay in a hotel, eat in a nice restaurant, and then move on to the next location.

The films, directed and conceived by Michael Winterbottom and partly improvised by Coogan and Brydon, aren’t indulgent wallows in food and privilege, however: Through the heightened, fictionalized portraits of Coogan and Brydon’s petty professional jealousies, they also interrogate the cocoon of celebrity culture. We always get the sense that reality is slowly catching up to these gents. Never has this been truer than in 2020’s The Trip to Greece , which alongside the impressions and the bickering and the delicious meals, finds Coogan and Brydon confronting the agony of the refugee crisis, as well as personal loss in their own lives. (The films all start off airing in longer series form in Britain, and Greece premiered on TV in the U.K. in February.) But for all the darkness, it still manages to be quite charming.

Coogan and Brydon have always been upfront about the fact that the two men presented onscreen are not really their true selves. (They’ve been outfitted with different families, for starters.) But when I get them together for a Zoom one dreary March morning, they slip right into (gently, collegially, lovingly) taking the piss out of each other. Brydon is at home in London. Coogan is at home in Essex, behind him a monitor displaying footage from a series of security cameras, a fact that Brydon does not leave unmentioned.  Brydon is late to our chat; Coogan has noticed …

Hi, Rob. Rob Brydon: Hi, so sorry. I totally forgot.

Steve Coogan: Well, that doesn’t entirely surprise me.

RB: It’s very hard to remember things, I find, at the moment.

SC: Because you’re rushed off your feet, are you? [ Laughs. ]

RB: There’s an interesting thing here. I’ve got an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old, and I think the experience at the moment of people who have young children is very different from the experience of the people who don’t. The people who don’t are watching films, reading books, it’s rather lovely.

SC: I don’t envy you. I’m being facetious. But can you go out?

RB: We go out once a day. One day we do a walk, the other day we do a bike ride. But we don’t come into contact with anyone. We’ve got a big garden, so we can be in that.

SC: You can’t cycle around your garden, can you?

RB: No, no, we cycle the streets. You can cycle the streets as long as you don’t come into contact.

SC: Isn’t that a bit hazardous?

RB: No, because the roads are so quiet.

How are you guys holding up? What the hell is life like for you? RB: Are you alright, Steve? Are you okay?

SC: I am okay. I’m here with my daughter and her boyfriend. Just the three of us. They’re obviously quite happy with each other, and I just kind of hang out with them saying, “What are you guys doing?,” which is slightly awkward. I think they’d be fine without me here, but I’m not sure I’d be fine without them here. So, I’ve been doing that and, you know, going for runs, and Skype writing because that’s what I was doing anyway. I’m carrying on with that, and trying to imagine somehow that the things I write might still somehow be relevant in a post-corona world. I think anyone who’s pitching anything or making anything after this will claim that it’s somehow relevant to coronavirus, whatever it is. But I’m very fortunate. I did some shopping for some people, locally, and the woman asked, “Do you want some money?” And I said, “No, that’s fine. Just make some contribution to some charity.” And my writing partner said, “What you really said was, ‘Just make sure you tell people about it.’” [ Laughs. ] Which I’m doing now.

RB: You know what I would love now is if that as we’re doing this we see behind you, Steve, people breaking into your house and stealing your stuff on the screen, while you’re talking, unaware of what’s going on.

SC: [ Glances behind him. ] Security cameras! And I’m claiming that I care about the local community.

RB: [ Laughs. ] Like a little old woman … [ inaudible ].

You broke up a little bit there, Rob. RB: It doesn’t bear repeating.

SC: Oh, come on, I like it when you’re forced to repeat a punchline after the moment’s gone.

I know a lot of people thought they’d have more time to read, and do other things, but what they’re discovering is they can’t focus on anything, due to the anxiety and stress. SC: I think people are still in a state of shock. Because it all happened rather quickly. But when people adjust to the new reality that’s going to be here for at least a few months …

RB: I’ve actually been reading Alan Bennett’s diaries again. I find those incredibly calming and relaxing, this really lovely ordered world.

SC: I watched Brief Encounter the other day, which was really, really wonderful.

RB: I bet it moves nice and slowly. We showed the boys The Great Escape and really enjoyed it.

SC: It’s great when you can enjoy things vicariously a second time around through your children. Having said that, I just got through the second season of El Chapo and I’m looking forward to the third.

Before watching Trip to Greece this weekend, I rewatched all three previous Trip movies. I started with The Trip to Spain , and there’s that moment early on, where you’re at a restaurant, sitting outside, and it starts to rain and everybody crowds inside. It’s the kind of annoying little thing that everyone has probably experienced at some point in their lives. And yet, I started tearing up watching it, because here was this incredibly common human moment that I can’t have right now. And who knows when I’ll ever get to have it. I was surprised at how it struck me. SC: Wow. When people come out of prison they often talk about the visceral pleasure of feeling rain.

RB: I’ve been seeing lots of things like that at the moment. I see something on television or a film, and I see people meeting somewhere, and think, Wow, that’ll be nice to be able to do that again.

I found The Trip to Greece to be quite poignant. It does seem like the saddest entry in the series. We get this sense that reality is catching up to you guys. SC: What Michael [Winterbottom] does with Rob and I is that whatever peccadillos or idiosyncrasies we have, we just sort of build on them. Because he’s middle-aged like we’re middle-aged, so he just addresses those things. What’s the word? It takes the curse off these things. When we talk about these things, or laugh at these things, they suddenly become diminished. These big questions — the anxiety of life — become somehow just put in a box. And if you make art out of it … What’s that Nora Ephron line? “Everything is copy.”

RB: Oh, you’re speaking of Nora Ephron. You know in The Trip to Greece where I say, “I did a Skype audition,” that was for Nancy Meyers.

SC: Oh, yes, Nancy. I auditioned for her.

RB: Yeah, me too. I didn’t get it.

SC: I didn’t get it either. I auditioned for The Holiday , and she said I wasn’t sexy enough.

RB: I didn’t audition for that. No, this was a little thing. But it was very funny because she was very flattering, and of course I’m very good with flattery. I respond very well to it. And then I did my bit, and of course didn’t get it.

SC: So, basically, you peaked at the small talk.

RB: Yeah! I think I’m good at that. I very rarely get a part that I audition for.

SC: I’m the same. I remember once this director said, “Can you stop saying the name of the character when you talk about it and just say ‘I’?” Right? So when I’m writing Alan Partridge, I say, “Alan does this, and Alan does that.” I don’t say “ I do this,” you know. I just say, “Alan.” And I was talking about a part with this director, saying “he,” referring to the character. “ He does this and then I think he does this,” and [the director] says, “Can you stop saying ‘he’ and say ‘I’, I think it will help you.” And I found myself saying, “Fuck off.” That’s why auditioning doesn’t go well for Rob or, I’d say, me.

Do you ever hear from chefs who felt they or their food were portrayed unfairly on the show? SC: I was at L’Enclume only two months ago. L’Enclume is in the first Trip , in the Lake District, not far from me. I went there for dinner, and the chef, Simon Rogan, who’s very much a respected Michelin star chef, came up and went, “Hey, how are you?” And it was all very friendly, but he still mentioned Ray Winstone’s snot. I don’t know if that’s in the film version [or only in the BBC series version], but there’s this one particular dish that had a green liquid in it that looked a bit like — and I don’t know how we arrived at this, I can’t remember — but I do remember that I compared it to Ray Winstone as a gangster forcing someone to eat his mucus. And for Simon Rogan, the chef … I mean this was ten years ago and whenever I see him he still brings it up in conversation. You know, we were very, very nice, and very complimentary, but it’s funny that that’s the thing that sticks in his mind about the show.

RB: We just praise the food because it’s always very nice, although I’m often not paying that much attention to it. People often say to me, “Which is the best food?” I’m just thinking, What am I going to say next? I’m trying to be inventive and creative. What I do remember are the meals we would eat in the evenings when we weren’t filming.

SC: Yeah. Do you remember, Rob, I think one of the most pleasurable meals we had was in King’s Landing. I think it was the Angel Pub in Yorkshire, and it was fried breakfast, after we had been to Bolton Abbey …

RB: It was simple ingredients.

SC: Yeah, but not the normal simple ingredients. There weren’t fresh, clean ingredients. It was a fried breakfast. It was egg, bacon, sausage, tomato, beans.

RB: But done beautifully.

SC: I remember sitting outside that pub by the road and thinking that was lovely, just … yeah. I’d go back there, you know. I’d go back there.

RB: Well, I went back to Holbeck Ghyll, which is in the Lake District, with my wife and my two younger children …

SC: Did they sit you by the window?

RB: I think, yes, we sat in the same seat, and I felt like the returning hero, and I thought, Surely we’re not going to be charged for this meal . But we were.

SC: You know what, Rob, you say that, but I have to say I have been back there several times, and my brother-in-law and my sister who both are very normal people who work in the public sector helping people with special needs, I told the proprietor and they stayed there for three nights, having Michelin-star dinners every night, and the whole thing was free.

RB: And yet one-half of the original team who made that thing has to pay. Where’s the fairness? [ Laughs. ]

SC: I think that it’s basically socialism in action. Those who can afford it pay. Those who can’t are subsidized. That’s fair. That’s my political worldview in action. So, it was right that you were charged.

RB: I’m struggling with it. A discount would have been something.

How often do you hear back from the subjects of your impressions? RB: We did a thing with Michael Caine at the Albert Hall, and he was very nice. You can see it . Anthony Hopkins I met in Los Angeles and he said, [ does an Anthony Hopkins voice ] “I loved The Trip. Loved The Trip .” This was after we’d done the first one and the Italian one hadn’t come out. And I said, “Well, in this new one, the Italian one, we’re on a yacht and we do you in The Bounty .” And he started doing it! He started going, “Turn your back away, Mr. Fryer!” And then I was doing it back to him. We were in a car and I got rather giddy. Hopkins! Hopkins occupies a sort of Brando-like position in the business. I think he is the equal of any actor, if you look at what he has put onscreen and onstage. And there he was, and he was doing it, you know, right next to me. And I’m doing it back at him! It was all I could do not to cry. It was quite overwhelming.

SC: Gosh, yeah … I’m quite envious of that.

Has anybody you’ve done impressions of reacted negatively? RB: I don’t think so. I think most people are flattered by it.

SC: Oh, me! That’s me. When you do me. I react slightly negatively.

RB: I do Steve Coogan and he’s a prickly customer. He doesn’t like it.

SC: [ Laughs. ] Probably the most negative reaction is me when he does me. That’s the truth, yeah. I do find it a little bit uncomfortable when he does it. You know how some people don’t like it when you take photographs of them, because they think you’re taking their soul? I feel like somehow it’s distilling some DNA, like a little bit of witchcraft. There’s something discombobulating about it. I don’t think it’s quite me, but there’s a certain familiarity about it. It’s reductive, that’s what it is. Because I think what I do is quite interesting, and if you do it, it’s almost like you can sort of bottle it and sell it in Boots, and that worries me, you know.

RB: And he’s telling the truth when he says that.

SC: Yes, yes. Yes. [ Laughs. ]

Rob, I hear that you declined to meet Al Pacino once. RB: Yeah, that is true. I was doing The Huntsman: Winter’s War . A big hit. It exploded at the box office. It bombed. And I played a dwarf. Great fun. And Jessica Chastain was on it, and one weekend she said, “Al is in town. We’re going to meet up for drinks. Do you want to come?” Now, I had a school event on, so I had to go to some parents’ thing. I could have got out of it, but I chose not to because I thought, Well, what’s going to happen? I’ve ended up meeting a lot of my acting and musical heroes, but there are some then who I think … Well, I’ve already got a great relationship with Al Pacino in my head, you know? So let’s just leave it at that.

Both of you have done work over the years that blurs the line between reality and fiction, but with the first Trip , was there any kind of adjustment, in that you really were playing these versions of yourselves? Was there a question of how much reality to put in? SC: I remember having a chat with Rob and saying, “Let’s risk offending each other and not take it personally, to try and find funny things.” I don’t know that we actually shook hands. And that pretty much worked, I think, 95 percent of the time. I got tetchy sometimes, but by and large that held, that sort of gentleman’s ribbing.

RB: The difference with the first one, from my perspective, was that it was very new, and we were going into it thinking, Well, what is this? You know, because Michael [Winterbottom]’s pitch was as a series initially, although he was saying he was going to make a film. It was six half-hours. And I remember thinking, How on Earth can we improvise enough good stuff for six half-hours? I was convinced we wouldn’t. The thing that surprised me about the first one when I watched it was the melancholy. We were traveling home every weekend, because it was done in Britain, and I’d come home and say to my wife, “Oh yeah, Steve was very funny, we did some very funny stuff.” But of course I wasn’t aware of the way Michael was shooting it, and the music he was going to put on it, and the long, slow shots. And that’s part of its success: You’ve got us two who, broadly speaking, follow traditional comic instincts and timings, and then you’ve got Michael who is a very un-manipulative filmmaker. He just wants to tell the story. Just, blomp , there it is, there’s the story. There are often times where I think, “Well, why didn’t you cut here, or cut a bit sooner on the joke?” But it was better that he didn’t, because it made it very individual.

SC: I agree with Rob there. And in fact I think Rob and I were sort of trying to get involved with Michael in the process in the first Trip , and then after that we just didn’t bother anymore.

RB: Futile, futile.

SC: Pointless! Pointless! And a waste of energy because Michael’s very good at what he does. These films are Michael Winterbottom films, and we’re just in them doing stuff.

Rob, I remember a story you told about how in The Trip to Italy , after you had the affair with the deckhand, your wife was hearing from people the next day saying, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry this happened.” RB: Yeah, she was taking the boys to school, and a teacher came up, put a hand on her shoulder, and said, “This must be a very difficult time for you.”

SC: That is very worrying that your kids were going to a school where a teacher can’t make that distinction.

RB: A state school. It’s more of a commune, really.

SC: What’s funny is if you say things that are self-critical or portray yourself in that negative light, as we do in The Trip , it sort of it nixes those who ought to say things like “In reality,” because you think, what can they say? Not only have I criticized myself, I’ve turned it into something creative and helped pay the rent with it.

RB: I always find it very funny that some people watch it and take it simply as a reality show, as if literally he’s just following us around and these things are really happening.

SC: I mean, while we’re having dinner, you think that might be real. But when I sleep with the receptionist at the hotel, how they think I allowed a film crew into the bedroom to —

RB: How she allowed you into the bedroom, I think would be the …

SC: Well, that’s more believable.

I think part of it is that reality TV has trained people to accept these things as real. Because that sort of thing would happen on, you know, The Real World . SC: That’s very true. This is such a weird hybrid.

RB: I can’t speak for Steve here, but I don’t really watch those programs because I’m a bit of a snob.

SC: Yeah. But I do.

It’s a bit of a reality series, but it’s also something of a movie franchise. For people like me, you know, The Trip is almost our version of a superhero franchise. There’s something familiar about it, there’s the template, but then the variations are what make it fun. And you guys are ending it right around the time The Avengers and Star Wars are sort of ending as well. RB: It’s our Endgame , yeah.

SC: We’re superheroes for middle-aged, middle-class, white professionals.

Part Two of this interview will run next month. The Trip to Greece will be available in the U.S. on May 22, 2020. The previous Trip films are currently streaming on IFC Films Unlimited.

• vulture homepage lede
• the trip to italy
• the trip to spain
• the trip to greece
• steve coogan
• a long talk

Most Viewed Stories

• The Best and Weirdest of Phish, According to Trey Anastasio
• Cinematrix No. 92: June 26, 2024
• Yes, They All Broke Up
• House of the Dragon Recap: Brothers In Arms
• Were You Also Baited By the Inside Out 2 Post-Credits Scene?
• The Real Housewives of New Jersey Recap: Push Comes to Shove

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Advertisement

Supported by

Movie Review | ‘The Trip'

2 Pairs of Sharp Elbows On White Tablecloths

• Share full article

By Manohla Dargis

• June 9, 2011

In contrast to Roger Corman’s 1967 freakout, “The Trip,” no hallucinogens are harmed in the Michael Winterbottom comedy of the same title, a British road movie laced with lacerating laughs and starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon . Mr. Coogan does, in fact, smoke a joint, lighting up in the same house where Coleridge wrote “Dejection: An Ode” and indulged in opium, the soporific that enslaved him in “humiliation and debasement.” Mr. Coogan has made a career partly by riffing on narcissism and he’s in fine self-loving form, as is Mr. Brydon. For one man, the humiliation of choice here is fame (with a debasement chaser), while for the other it’s his incessant vocal mugging. Both give you a contact high.

The duo’s dueling funnymen routine will be familiar if you’ve seen a few of Mr. Winterbottom’s earlier films, including “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story,” or were in Britain last fall and caught “The Trip” when it was a six-part BBC2 television series . The title, premise and almost everything else in both the big- and small-screen versions are identical because, well, they’re essentially the same , save for the movie’s abbreviated length (111 minutes) and some gags lost in translation. To rewind: Mr. Coogan accepts a gig from The Observer of London to review six restaurants in northern England. He plans to take his (pretend) girlfriend, Mischa (Margo Stilley), but is forced, with demonstrable reluctance, to ask Mr. Brydon instead. Straightaway, the two friendly combatants are motoring out of London in a Range Rover, maps and gags at the ready.

As in many road movies, the trip becomes an occasion for philosophizing, a journey inward and out as the men joust and parry, improvising and entertaining each other, at times by imitating, hilariously, someone else (Michael Caine, Sean Connery). They also eat, of course, often and well, dining in restaurants where the rooms and service are hushed and the dishes extravagantly conceptualized and prepared. (With The Observer paying, money isn’t an issue.) There are gardens of vegetables, oceans of seafood, a veritable abattoir of meat. At the Cumbrian restaurant L’Enclume (one Michelin star), the near-parodic haute and low offerings include lollipops “made out of duck fat with peanuts” (“Why not?” Mr. Coogan muses) and some foamy pea-green ick made from mallow, ginger beer and whiskey and served in a martini glass.

“The consistency,” Mr. Coogan says after braving a sip, “is a bit like snot.” Pause. “But it tastes great.”

In between the truffle ravioli and Burgundy, the vocal caricatures and Lake District landscapes, Mr. Coogan and Mr. Brydon goad each other with prickly jokes and smiled insults all while comparing their successes, reciting poetry and walking the moors, as well as an occasional tightrope. Sometimes the camaraderie edges into aggression that is soon snuffed out with laughter. Mr. Coogan’s stated desire to act for film-art “auteurs,” is one well-chewed bone they tug at, as is Mr. Brydon’s populist appeal. Since they worked with Mr. Winterbottom in his 2002 film “24 Hour Party People,” Mr. Brydon has continued to blow up bigger in Britain, while Mr. Coogan’s Hollywood future has dimmed (his star turn in “Around the World in 80 Days” went nowhere), developments that give “The Trip” a sting of truth.

Oh, how Mr. Coogan aches for celebrity. Or at least that’s what his on-screen character yearns for. It’s unclear which is which, who is who, and that’s part of the journey — the destination too. To the extent that the man at the wheel (Mr. Coogan) and the guy riding shotgun (Mr. Brydon) are playacting is a question that Mr. Winterbottom and his stars enjoyably bat around. Does it matter where a performer ends and the persona begins, or if the two can be separated? In “The Trip” you search for authenticity among the jokes and lulls, but what you get is what you see and hear: Mr. Coogan sniping, eating and whining, endlessly whining, about the size of his rooms, the state of his career, and Mr. Brydon a blissful foil. It’s plenty real.

Even so, it’s impossible to know if Mr. Coogan is honestly wounded and if Mr. Brydon is as cheerfully impervious to insult as he appears. It’s easier to guess: maybe so. In one scene Mr. Coogan tries to mimic Mr. Brydon’s popular “small man in a box” voice and its tiny peeping, but fails. Looking into a mirror, Mr. Coogan says with strangled effort — addressing his twin self, the one perhaps responsible for great Coogan creations like Alan Partridge — “I don’t care about silly voices.” It’s a perfect encapsulation of the contradictions and sad-funny neediness that “The Trip” gets at so well and a moment that Mr. Winterbottom almost blows with the tinkling piano that creeps onto the soundtrack whenever things turn self-consciously serious. There’s no need to milk the tears when, like the laughs, they’re already flowing.

Opens on Friday in Manhattan.

Directed by Michael Winterbottom; director of photography, Ben Smithard; edited by Mags Arnold and Paul Monaghan; music by Michael Nyman; produced by Andrew Eaton and Melissa Parmenter; released by IFC Films. Running time: 1 hour 51 minutes. This film is not rated.

WITH: Steve Coogan (Steve), Rob Brydon (Rob), Claire Keelan (Emma), Margo Stilley (Mischa), Rebecca Johnson (Sally), Dolya Gavanski (Magda) and Kerry Shale (Steve’s United States Agent).

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

“Elvis” and “Dune” established Austin Butler as a chameleonic movie star. Now, with “The Bikeriders,” something closer to the real Butler is being revealed .

Erin Moriarty, the highest-billed actress in the superhero satire “The Boys,” discussed her role in an age of online bullying and token feminism .

How does democracy die? “The Boys” and other TV series imagine fascism coming to America , whether wrapped in the flag or in a superhero’s tights.

In his first season leading “Doctor Who,” Ncuti Gatwa has brought charisma, emotion and even more camp  to the long-running sci-fi show.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

Latest on The Trip

'Dinner Time Live': David Chang’s Netflix Cooking Talk Show Needs Better Ingredients

Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Trip To Greece' On Demand Finds Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon On One Last Cultural Immersion

5 Movies That Took a Chance on ABBA (That Weren't 'Mamma Mia!')

Hola Amigos! 'The Trip To Spain' Is Now On Netflix

Top 10 Comedies On Netflix

Trending now.

This story has been shared 1,393 times. 1,393

This story has been shared 502 times. 502

This story has been shared 325 times. 325

This story has been shared 273 times. 273

This story has been shared 204 times. 204

This story has been shared 192 times. 192

This story has been shared 169 times. 169

This story has been shared 155 times. 155

Stream It Or Skip It?

Stream it or skip it: ‘the price of nonna’s inheritance’ on netflix, a lazy comedy that'll grate on your nerves, stream it or skip it: ‘tiktok star murders’ on peacock, a documentary chronicling the murder of ana abulaban at the hands of husband tiktoker, stream it or skip it: 'federer: twelve final days' on prime video, a "home video" of the tennis great's farewell tour, stream it or skip it: ‘prey’ on hulu, a chintzy lions-attack survival story starring emile hirsch, stream it or skip it: ‘furiosa: a mad max saga’ on vod, a visionary, action-rich 'fury road' prequel, more from decider.

Heidi Klum Strips Down On 'Hot Ones', Leaving Host Sean Evans Speechless

Andy Cohen Tells Jeff Lewis To "Calm Down" After He Accuses Him Of Taking Away Shannon Beador's Allies In 'RHOC' Season 18

Everything To Know About 'Silo' Season 2 On Apple TV+

Sean Evans Reveals Which 'Hot Ones' Guest He Forced To Take A Break While Filming: "I'm Not Allowing You to Finish This"

Kevin Costner Pretends To Shoot Himself On 'Today' After Jenna Bush Hager Revealed He Mortgaged A House To Finance 'Horizon': I Did "More Than That"

When Does 'When Calls The Heart' Return With New Episodes? Season 12 Release Date Info

The Trip stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon tease their Greek adventure

Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan are back with a new series of their award winning series The Trip, this time exploring Greece. Here the pair talk highlights, winding each other up, their all time favourite celebrity impressions and why this will be their final TV trip together...

It was ten years ago that Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon took to the picturesque roads of the Lake District to film their first ever series of The Trip.

"We didn’t really know what to expect back then. The first one was was quite experimental and we were shooting scenes where we’d be thinking, ‘Is this actually funny?’" says Brydon when we meet the pair for our interview.

They needn’t have worried. The comedy series, in which the duo play fictionalised versions of themselves and tour local restaurants, dip their toes into the culture and mercilessly try to outdo each other with their celebrity impressions, proved to be a winning formula.

With two subsequent series, the first in Italy, the next in Spain, a clutch of awards and three feature films under their belts, the pair are back for a fourth helping, this time in Greece.

"We’re mimicking Homer’s Odyssey" says Coogan. "So we begin in Troy in Turkey and end up in Ithaca visiting places like Athens, Pilos and Hydra along the way."

Here Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan share their Greek highlights, their favourite ever impressions and reveal why, despite its huge success, they’ve decided this will be their last series of The Trip...

How much of The Trip is improvised and how much is scripted or pre-planned?

Get the What to Watch Newsletter

The latest updates, reviews and unmissable series to watch and more!

Rob: Our director Michael Winterbottom provides the framework and plans where we go, and then we do the colouring in.

Steve: Sometimes Rob and I will be chatting off camera and he’ll say. ’Hang on let’s talk about that on camera because that’s really funny.’ We sometimes give each other lines …

Rob: I gave you that line about Michael Bublé in the Italian series, I said, ‘I can ask, ‘Where do you stand on Michael Bublé?’ and you can say ‘His windpipe!’

Steve: People wrote at the time, ‘Brilliant! Classic Coogan’ but actually it was Rob who gave me that line.

What’s it like spending so much time together, just the two you?

Rob: Quite intense but in a good way. We’ll have breakfast together, film all day and then have dinner together but it’s rather lovely and quite unusual at our age to spend that much time with a friend. And of course everything is taken care of and beautifully curated for us.

Steve: Filming takes about five weeks and during that time you don’t have to think about anything. It’s a bit like a being on a school trip and we’re the star pupils!

Rob: We’re the only pupils!

Does it take a while to adapt to being back home after being on the road filming for so long?

Steve: You become slightly child-like because everything is taken care of to the extent you think, ‘I can just walk across the street because if there’s a car coming someone will stop it. It’s not my job!’ And then you come back home to real life and realise you actually have to look both ways, you’re a grown up and actually have to think about what you are going to do with your day.

There’s always a lot of on-screen needling between your characters, do you ever push each other too far?

Steve: Yes. I get genuinely annoyed with Rob at times.

Rob: And vice versa. You’re poking each other and it’s all good fun and then occasionally you’ll go ‘Ouch! Did you mean that?’

Steve: Right at the start we agreed we couldn’t be offended. If it’s too comfy the series runs the risk of being dull. Sometimes I overdo the poking. I’ll have a real go at Rob and then afterwards there’s just this really horrible atmosphere.

Rob: I’ll be thinking ‘Jesus Christ! What was that?’

The series are always packed with celebrity impressions. Which are your favourites?

Rob: Steve is forensically good. I always love his Neil Kinnock, maybe because it’s Welsh. His Anthony Hopkins in The Bounty is fantastic. He was doing Jeremy Irons for me earlier. He’s got a remarkable array.

Steve: Rob does a very good Ronnie Corbett, his Tom Jones is very good and um….

Rob: It’s paining you to say this isn’t it?

Steve: Your Dustin Hoffman is quite good too.

Rob: Our director Michael’s always keen for us to do as many impressions as we can. When we were filming the very first episode ten years ago we weren’t really sure what we were making at that point. I remember Michael walking away and saying, ‘Do more Basil Brush’ This edgy filmmaker, Michael Winterbottom asking us to do more Basil Brush!

Steve: Basil Brush does actually turn up in this series too.

Will you be breaking into song again this series?

Rob: Yes, we always like a bit of singing especially on the car journeys. We do Knowing Me, Knowing You. We sang I Am Sailing on the ferry.

Steve: Some Bee Gees stuff too, we worked very hard on those harmonies.

Rob: I love the Bee Gees. I know all the words, I’m not ashamed of that.

Steve: I would be!

Rob: I know you would Steve, and that’s the difference between us.

What were your Greek highlights?

Rob: I really enjoyed all the travel by water we did. Adelphi was a lovely place to visit. It was a misty wet day when we went and then there was a huge thunderstorm. It was kind of Biblical.

Steve: I enjoyed Pylos too. We went to the harbour where the famous naval battle, The Battle of Navarino, was fought during the Greek War Of Independence. I’d only ever been to a few Greek Islands years ago, all the usual tourist places, so it was wonderful to see this completely different side.

What are your standout moments from all four series?

Rob: I’ve got very fond memories of being drunk at Ravello in Italy and talking about kumquats and Gore Vidal.

Steve: Yes I fell in love with Ravello. I’ve been back many times since. That was where we got very, very drunk. It was probably the most honest scene of the entire series. I don’t drink now. Rob drank quite a bit in the last episode we did in Spain. I was sitting there thinking ‘God what’s he talking about? He’s lost it!’

Why have you decided this will be your final series?

Steve: I was going to say quit while you’re ahead, but if that was the case we’d have quit after series three but quit while you’re not that far behind. Jump before you are pushed!

Rob: And the story arc and the narrative of this one works well as an ending.

Steve: You see me come home to the house where I lived with my fictional ex-wife. There’s this big reckoning. So, like the story of Odysseus, there’s a coming home element. After ten years I’m finally home.

Do you do any reading up on the places you are going to beforehand?

Steve: Michael and our producer Josh (Hyams) do a lot of research for us and plan the whole thing, there’s a road map, they give us the stuff to talk about. Josh does a kind of Brody’s Notes for us to crib. We get books that we’re supposed to read beforehand so that we can pepper conversations to include something that resembles substance! I definitely read more than Rob.

Rob: I didn’t do any research at all for the other series. On this one I thought, ‘Right, this time I want to go out with some knowledge of the subject!’ But I didn’t. I never got round to it. It’s very similar to my approach to taking exams when I was at school.

You’re playing fictional versions of yourselves. Do viewers confuse fact with fiction?

Rob: Oh yes! On the Italy trip my character has a moment of madness and spends the night with a deckhand. The day after it went out on TV, my wife Clare was taking one of our kids to school and a teacher came out and in all seriousness went, ‘This must be a very difficult time for you’. She actually thought she’d been watching a fly on the wall documentary where I’ve allowed a film crew into my bedroom to see me waking up full of remorse.

The Trip To Greece begins on Sky One and Now TV on Tuesday March 3 at 10pm

Tess is a senior writer for What’s On TV, TV Times, TV & Satellite and WhattoWatch.com She's been writing about TV for over 25 years and worked on some of the UK’s biggest and best-selling publications including the Daily Mirror where she was assistant editor on the weekend TV magazine, The Look, and Closer magazine where she was TV editor. She has freelanced for a whole range of websites and publications including We Love TV, The Sun’s TV Mag, Woman, Woman’s Own, Fabulous, Good Living, Prima and Woman and Home. 

Rebus fans are ALL saying the same thing after 'gritty' and 'gripping' finale

Casualty star Kellie Shirley reveals she would return to EastEnders if she could work with THIS actor again

I've written a book about witch trials and Suranne Jones got this vital point spot on

Most Popular

• 2 House of the Dragon season 2 episode 2 recap: Traitors and villains
• 3 Casualty star Kellie Shirley reveals she would return to EastEnders if she could work with THIS actor again
• 4 Orphan Black: Echoes expands The Clone Club universe with its US premiere tonight
• 5 How to watch India vs Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024 online or on TV

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

• TV Listings

Steve Coogan

Birth Name: Stephen John Coogan

Birth Place: Middleton, Manchester, England

Profession Actor, comedian, producer, voice-overs, writer

Executive Producer

Screenwriter.

Why 'The Trip' Is One Of The Best Comedy Franchises of the Last Decade

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The 10 Most Overrated Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

This psychological thriller is the most intense movie you'll ever experience, the 10 best international thrillers, ranked.

There’s a reason why comedy sequels rarely work. Great comedy is often about landing a joke at the right time and refining material in the moment, and it’s rare that the situations and characters can be easily inserted into a follow up story. There’s a rather slim amount of comedy sequels that can even compare to their originals, and the number of comedy franchises with multiple good installments is even lower.

The notion of a comedy series with four great installments would seem nearly impossible, but that’s exactly what filmmaker Michael Winterbottom and stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon did with The Trip franchise. The films re-edit footage from the U.K. sitcom of the same name to form a cohesive narrative, resulting in four unique installments- 2010’s The Trip , 2014’s The Trip to Italy , 2017’s The Trip to Spain , and 2020’s The Trip to Greece .

Some comedy franchises mix genres in a way that suit them for continuing adventures - there’s an action element to the Austin Powers series and lots of sci-fi worldbuilding in the Bill & Ted films. The Trip couldn’t be more different; Coogan and Brydon star as (lightly) fictionalized versions of themselves, two lifelong friends and comedians who embark on a series of restaurant tours across landmark destinations in Europe.

While Winterbottom has made films with an intense visual style before ( Code 46 , 24 Hour Party People , The Claim ), The Trip films are entirely based on the conversations between Coogan and Brydon. Obviously getting two established comedians to make funny observations on a road trip may not seem like a tough task, but the chemistry between the two leads goes beyond their competing Michael Caine impressions. Each film shows the passing of time and how the friendship has evolved, and the acerbic wit that each comedian brings prevents the films from ever being too cloyingly sentimental.

If the concept of “ Richard Linklater 's Before trilogy starring two middle-aged comedian friends” doesn’t sound initially appealing, Coogan and Brydon are savvy in what personal details are shared. Because the two are best friends, the viewer doesn’t need to be fed expositional dialogue about the major updates in their personal lives between films. You wouldn't fill your friend in on your entire backstory every time you see them, and enough context clues come up naturally in the films for the audience to feel sufficiently caught up. It’s intended for each film to be a snapshot into a specific moment in the two men's lives, with an occasionally lukewarm return to normalcy following each trip.

What makes The Trip such a great franchise is that it avoids the frequent issues of repetitiveness comedy sequels face through its authenticity. Sometimes a joke that worked the first time around just doesn’t work a second time - Brydon’s exaggerated Bond villain impersonation may have been hilarious in The Trip but feels stale by The Trip to Greece , and the characters can comment on that. The films don’t feel the need to manufacture conflict between the characters either, and any quarrel or disagreement comes up naturally. By the end of the fourth film, Coogan and Brydon haven’t broken down into any furious shouting matches, but it’s clear their lives are headed in different directions.

RELATED: The 30 Best Comedies on Netflix Right Now (May 2021)

The docu-style approach also helps to avoid manufacturing jokes when they’re not appropriate - one of the more quietly profound moments in the series is Coogan’s growing irritation with Brydon’s quips when they encounter a preserved body at a historical site in The Trip to Greece . There’s enough inherent humor from the characters’ perspectives that adding in setpieces or exterior gags isn’t necessary, and there are moments where it’s best to hold back.

The lack of a conclusive chapter allows each film to naturally segue into another; the stories don’t end with Coogan and Brydon reaching a more profound understanding of each other because that’s just not how real-life friendship works, and each film ends in borderline experimental fashion. The Trip to Spain is the most notable in that regard, concluding with Coogan isolated and exhausted in the middle of a foreign country without any direction forward (literally or metaphorically). As high-strung as many of the conversations can get, the Trip franchise's depiction of mid-life anxiety remarkably pulls no punches.

The Trip also isn’t a franchise where one film stands out among the rest. Your favorite entry might depend on what stage of life you’re at and how much of the mature elements you’re comfortable with. The adolescent hijinks don’t disappear by the end of the series, but the films do confront more serious situations as they go on. When Coogan faces the impending loss of a parent in The Trip to Greece , it throws a wrench into the story that stops the film in its tracks and forces both men to reckon with their life choices.

The notion of getting to see these beautiful locations is also very appealing, especially considering most of us have been completely confined to our homes for the past year. As much fun as each mini-adventure is, Coogan and Brydon make it clear that the indulgences they allow themselves on vacation just aren’t sustainable when they return to their family lives. For instance, Coogan experiences a wake-up call when his son joins the series towards the end of The Trip to Italy , and he’s forced to dramatically alter his behavior and revert to being a parent.

This is a must watch franchise for film nerds, as beyond the amusing pop culture references is the incorporation of Coogan’s acting career as a point of conversation. The awards success of 2013’s Philomena (which Coogan starred in and co-wrote, earning Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay) leads to a very funny discussion on the merits of awards communities. There’s also a vague notion that each of the stories follows some of the countries’ literary icons; The Trip to Spain contains allusions to the Don Quixote story, and The Trip to Greece features the characters following the trail of The Odyssey.

Winterbottom, Coogan, and Brydon have definitively stated that The Trip to Greece is the end of the franchise, making it one of the rare series to leave on a satisfying conclusion without any critical missteps forcing a conclusion. It’s a rare achievement, and one that only a select few sagas have ever been able to do. That its stories and setups are so simple shouldn’t change the fact that The Trip is a valuable franchise that finished on its own terms.

KEEP READING: Rob Brydon on 'The Trip to Greece', Making Steve Coogan Laugh, and If He'd Do Another Sequel

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon eye up The Trip series four to Ireland

The Emerald Isle looks like it may be the next destination for the comedy duo

• Share on facebook
• Share on twitter
• Share on pinterest
• Share on reddit
• Email to a friend

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon comedy The Trip made a successful transfer to Sky Atlantic earlier this year, with the duo touring some stunning Spanish spots in the latest run of the expertly-crafted comedy directed by Michael Winterbottom.

The final episode ended with Brydon returning to England and Coogan finding himself in a spot of bother – his car was stranded and the last thing he saw was a convoy of Jihadists bearing down on him.

We have been assured that Coogan's "character" will survive this mishap and both Sky and the talent involved are keen to make another series.

But where next for our intrepid duo and their uncannily spot-on impersonations?

According to Sky sources, work on a new series is only likely to begin in a couple of years given the work commitments of those involved.

More like this

And the destination?

After Trips to the UK and Italy before The Trip to Spain, Sky has long hankered after a Trip to the US - but Brydon and Coogan are reportedly less keen on that.

The smart money is on a Trip… to Ireland.

Subscribe to Radio Times

Try 10 issues for just £10!

Win theatre tickets

One reader can win a pair of tickets to see Boys from the Blackstuff and an overnight stay at a four-star Thistle Hotel, including a pre-theatre meal and breakfast.

Is equity release safe?

If you’re a homeowner aged 55 or over, you may be able to unlock the value that has built up in your home as tax-free cash to help you supplement your later life finances.

The best TV and entertainment news in your inbox

Sign up to receive our newsletter!

By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy . You can unsubscribe at any time.

Top 8 Road Trip Films for Friends Who Love To Travel

T raveling with friends can create some of the best memories of a lifetime, and what better way to get inspired for your next adventure than by watching a road trip movie? Netflix offers a fantastic selection of films that capture the excitement, challenges, and camaraderie of hitting the open road. Whether you’re planning your next getaway or just dreaming of future travels, these films will entertain and inspire you. Here are the top 8 road trip movies currently available on Netflix.

The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

Paul Rudd stars in this heartwarming comedy-drama about a retired writer who becomes a caregiver for a young man with muscular dystrophy. Their road trip is filled with unexpected adventures, humor, and poignant moments, showcasing the healing power of friendship and the importance of human connection.

Into the Wild (2007)

Based on a true story, this film follows Christopher McCandless as he leaves his life behind to embark on a journey across America, eventually heading into the Alaskan wilderness. Directed by Sean Penn and featuring stunning landscapes, “Into the Wild” is a thought-provoking exploration of freedom and self-discovery.

The Bucket List (2007)

Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson play two terminally ill men who escape from a cancer ward to embark on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die. This comedic drama highlights the importance of seizing the day and celebrating life's adventures, no matter how old you are.

Kodachrome (2017)

This touching drama follows a struggling executive who accompanies his estranged, dying father on a road trip to the last lab in Kansas that develops Kodachrome film. Along the way, they reconcile their past and find common ground, making for a poignant story of redemption and forgiveness.

Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (2016)

In this quirky comedy, Pee-wee Herman embarks on his first-ever holiday after meeting a mysterious stranger. His journey across the country is filled with whimsical encounters and hilarious misadventures, making it a lighthearted and fun watch for friends planning their next trip.

Roma (2018)

While not a traditional road trip film, “Roma” features an unforgettable journey to the Mexican countryside that serves as a pivotal moment in the story. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, this visually stunning film captures the essence of life's journeys, both literal and metaphorical, through its rich storytelling and beautiful cinematography.

The Half of It (2020)

This modern coming-of-age film follows a shy, introverted student who helps a school jock write love letters to a girl they both secretly love. Their friendship blossoms during a road trip to find her, leading to a heartfelt exploration of identity, love, and friendship.

The Trip (2010)

In this British comedy, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play fictionalized versions of themselves as they embark on a restaurant tour across the north of England. Their witty banter, celebrity impressions, and the picturesque countryside make this a delightful and humorous road trip film.

The post Top 8 Road Trip Films for Friends Who Love To Travel appeared first on New York Tech Media .