Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, released on June 10, 2016, by 20th Century Fox, is a raunchy, high-energy comedy that perfectly captures the messy, over-the-top spirit of mid-2010s R-rated rom-coms. Directed by Jake Szymanski and written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien (the duo behind Neighbors), the film stars Zac Efron and Adam DeVine as the titular brothers — two lovable but wildly irresponsible party guys — who post an online ad seeking responsible dates for their sister’s wedding in Hawaii, hoping to avoid any drama. What they get instead are two chaotic women (Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza) who are anything but stable, leading to a week of outrageous misadventures, drunken antics, and unexpected heart.

The premise is simple and instantly appealing: Mike (Efron) and Dave (DeVine) are the kind of brothers who throw epic parties, destroy family gatherings, and have a reputation for turning every event into chaos. When their sister Jeanie (Sugar Lyn Beard) announces her wedding to the uptight Eric (Sam Richardson), their parents (Stephen Root and Stephanie Faracy) give them an ultimatum: bring respectable dates or don’t come. Desperate to prove they can behave, the brothers post a Craigslist-style ad online — “Two normal, nice guys looking for dates to a wedding in Hawaii. No drama, no crazy exes, no felonies” — complete with a goofy video that goes viral.

Enter Tatiana (Kendrick) and Alice (Plaza), two best friends who are reeling from recent personal disasters. Tatiana has just been dumped at the altar; Alice is still grieving the death of her fiancé in a freak accident. Both women are spiraling — Tatiana with reckless hookups, Alice with self-destructive drinking — and they see the ad as the perfect escape. They fake a wholesome backstory, win the brothers over, and jet off to Maui, where they proceed to unleash complete mayhem.’

The film’s strength lies in its four leads, who share crackling chemistry and perfect comedic timing. Efron and DeVine play the brothers with infectious bro-energy — dumb but lovable, reckless but well-meaning. Kendrick brings sharp wit and vulnerability as Tatiana, while Plaza’s deadpan delivery and dark humor make Alice the breakout star. The supporting cast adds to the chaos: Alison Brie as Jeanie’s uptight maid of honor, Jake Johnson as a sleazy resort employee, and Kumail Nanjiani in a hilarious cameo as a resort worker.

The script leans hard into R-rated humor — excessive drinking, drug use, sexual misadventures, and gross-out gags — but it also finds surprising heart. The brothers genuinely want to do right by their sister, and Tatiana and Alice are not just chaos agents; they’re broken people using the wedding as an escape from their own pain. By the end, the film delivers genuine emotional moments amid the madness, particularly in scenes between Efron and Kendrick, where their fake relationship slowly becomes real.

Critically, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it sits at 35% from critics but an 81% audience score — a classic case of a film that critics found formulaic but audiences loved for its energy and laughs. Many praised the cast’s chemistry and the film’s willingness to embrace its own ridiculousness, while detractors called it “crude” and “over-reliant on stereotypes.”

Financially, the movie was a solid success, grossing $77 million worldwide on a $33 million budget. It became a summer streaming staple and has since gained a cult following for its quotable lines, outrageous set pieces (the infamous luau sequence and the ATV crash remain fan favorites), and the way it balances bro-comedy with real emotional stakes.

More than eight years later, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates holds up as a snapshot of 2010s R-rated comedy — loud, messy, occasionally offensive, but ultimately warm-hearted. It’s the kind of movie you put on for a girls’ night, a bachelor party, or a lazy weekend, and end up laughing harder than you expected. In a genre that often feels tired, this one still feels fresh — thanks to four stars who know exactly how to make chaos feel fun.