Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” Is A Quirky Action Thriller That Does Camp Well!

SXSW 2026 Review

SXSW is known for its out-of-the-box film features, and Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice fits the roster quite perfectly. Written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski (Happily), this time-travel action movie leans into the camp of it all and shines best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously. I had no idea what to expect going into this film, but I knew I wasn’t going to take it too seriously, and I’m glad I didn’t.

In the beginning of the film, mad scientist Symon (Ben Schwartz, House of Lies) meets his untimely demise while working on a top-secret project. For the rest of the film, we’re not only trying to solve the mystery of who killed Symon, but also why. To get our answers, we’re taken through four very intriguing acts, conveniently titled “The Party,” “The After Party,” “The After After Party,” and “The After After After Party.”

The first soirée introduces us to loan sharks and killer colleagues Nick (Vince Vaughn, Bad Monkey) and Quick Draw Mike (James Marsden, Your Friends & Neighbors). This criminal organization is run by Sosa (Keith David, American Fiction), whose unofficially adopted son, Jimmy Boy (Jimmy Tatro, Home Economics), is being celebrated after six years in prison.

Unbeknownst to him, his homecoming is actually a gathering orchestrated by his father to find and punish the snitch who put him away.

Alice (Eiza González, 3 Body Problem) is married to Nick, but from body language alone, it’s clear that the love they once shared has soured immensely. It’s no surprise, then, when we discover that Mike and Alice are having an affair. The care and love Alice has been craving are no longer provided by Nick, while Mike has a very specific way about him that allows him to love her effortlessly. Their chemistry, paired with Mike’s romantic gestures, almost makes you forget that they are having an affair. At a certain point, you start to believe these two are endgame. Perhaps this is simply a case of Nick and Alice ignoring clear red flags and settling into a marriage before truly finding their person.

When Nick shows up to Mike’s hotel room unannounced, narrowly missing Alice’s arrival, both Mike and Alice know something is off. They assume Nick is there to kill Mike, but it turns out to be quite the opposite. Present-day Nick asks Mike to help him “clean up” a situation at his home and instructs him to chloroform whoever opens the door, no matter what he sees.

What Mike sees shocks him: it’s another version of Nick. Unsurprisingly, Present Nick isn’t thrilled to be attacked by his colleague and friend. When he escapes, Future Nick and Mike are forced to go on an adventure to track him down.

After Mike’s encounter with Future Nick, Sosa mysteriously appears at Nick’s house. Mike overhears him reveal that he is the rat, which comes as a shock to him, as he is a simple man who does his job and goes home. In fact, he never should have been a killer and had already told Future Nick earlier that night about his plans to leave the organization.

Once Sosa leaves, Future Nick reveals that he knows who framed Mike and has come back to save his life because he doesn’t want Alice to become a single mother. That’s right, not only does Future Nick know about their affair, but he also feels immense guilt for being the one who framed Mike and sent him to his death at the hands of The Barron, a deadly cannibal assassin hired by Sosa to finish the job once and for all.

Throughout the film, we get flashbacks of Symon and Alice, revealing a friendship full of secrets, including key information about the time-travel machine that Nick ultimately uses to save Mike. Forced to relive the same day, Future Nick anticipates the betrayal that Present Nick attempts to set in motion against Mike, driven by his anger over the affair.

When the group isn’t referencing Gilmore Girls, the foursome bands together to save Nick, but at what cost? Since Sosa doesn’t take betrayal lightly, going up against an entire organization of paid assassins feels like an obvious death sentence, but with a twist.

It begs the question: if you could use a time machine to save your friend, would you? And how many trips would it take to get a happy ending for everyone?

I went into Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice with no expectations and hadn’t even seen a trailer or read a logline, and that sense of discovery ultimately worked in the film’s favor. Experiencing it blind made the humor land even harder, though it’s clearly tailored for a specific audience that can appreciate its offbeat rhythm and layered references. My millennial heart was especially satisfied, catching nods that feel both intentional and indulgent, all while the film delivers a steady mix of action and absurdity.

Some of the slower action sequences didn’t work for me, but the film consistently finds its footing where it matters most: in its characters and their dynamic. I would have gladly taken more Ben Schwartz, though that’s purely my own comedy-biased wish. But what truly anchors the film is the chemistry across the cast, particularly among the three leads. James Marsden and Vince Vaughn lean all the way into the betrayal-bromance of it all, with Vaughn pulling off double duty in a way that feels distinct, playful, and surprisingly nuanced, proving that no two Nicks are created equal. The new romance, tension, and the emotional stakes all coexist in a way that keeps you invested, even when the narrative spirals into chaos.

Ultimately, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice thrives when it embraces its own ridiculousness. It’s a film that understands exactly what it is and invites the audience to meet it there. If you’re willing to go along for the ride, it rewards you with a chaotic, referential, and oddly heartfelt experience

that asks just enough of its central question to linger: how far would you go, and how many times would you try, to rewrite the fate of someone you care about?

Catch Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice out now on Hulu!