The Couch Trip (1988) (2025)

Popular reviews

• Review by Keith 🟠🟢🔵 ★ 1

  "My friend got shoulder pad implants."
  
  Ah, the 80s.

  I watched this last night and I don't remember laughing once.

• Review by Gregory Kent ★★

  1988 Ranked

  For a plot this goofy, you better either have great chemistry or wall to wall laughs. Unfortunately, The Couch Trip doesn't have either. There are good moments and individual performances that shine (fast talking Aykroyd, crumbling Grodin, and bonkers Matthau), but they aren't together enough to get a connected rhythm. The direction and editing don't do any favors to the film (bummer - I like a lot of Ritchie's work), often feeling disjointed and rushed, and the script is a bore at the bookends.

• Review by Matthew Christman ★★½

  Smug Ackroyd <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Earnest Ackroyd

• Review by Rob Hill ★★★ 2

  I liked this! This was funny, and I came really close giving it 3.5☆.

  The execution of the central plot would definitely warrant the higher score. Lots of laughs, including some slightly darker comedic touches at points, make this a really solid time.

  It unfortunately bookends this humor with a drawn out opening (a full 25 minutes to get to the main plot?) and a completely nonsensical ending. Still, a worthwhile watch, and a great chance to be bedazzled by the stunning Donna Dixon.

• Review by 🇵🇱 Steve G 🐝 ★★★½ 2

  The 80s Christmas 5: Letterboxd’s Christmas Vacation

  Ahh, I love this project every Christmas. The start of it is always the sign that all I'll be doing for a week and a half but watching 80s comedies and doing *nothing* *else*.

  Starting off with Michael Ritchie's imposter comedy, this isn't one of his best films because, let's face it, he had a pretty under-appreciated career with a couple of really cracking films in there. But it's really sharp thanks to Dan Aykroyd's fast-talking performance, and Charles Grodin's hilarious portrayal of a psychotic in progression.

  Quite interesting that Aykroyd doesn't get the girl at the end though, considering this is an 80s comedy. Mind you, he'd already got Donna Dixon in real life (and still has her!) so maybe he thought we didn't need to see it on film as well. Fair enough. Good fun, nothing too strenuous, exactly what I desired.

• Review by Travis Lytle ★★½

  Falling flat despite its cast, "The Couch Trip" finds Dan Aykroyd's institution patient-turned-psychiatrist charming his way to fame as a radio host while Walter Matthau's patient observer looks on. Besides Aykroyd's ability to charm his way into and out of tight spots, there is not a lot here; and the story consists mainly of characters braying about as their situations flounder with moderate amusement. There are laughs to be had, but the film bounces from grating to less-so too often to be truly appealing.

• Review by C.A. DeStefanis ★½ 4

  If anything good came from The Couch Trip it's that it further confirmed (along with Doctor Detroit) that Dan Aykroyd ain't a solo act. Despite a baller supporting cast there are literally no laughs to be had. Not even Matthau or Grodin can squeeze any juice from this lemon.

  Normally you'd think that supporting cast alone, along with Michael Ritchie, could polish this turd but alas, no dice. Some days you don't have your fastball and The Couch Trip is the cinematic equivalent of getting shelled. It succeeds at nothing.

  Walter Matthau didn't have the best 1980s, but watching this just made me feel bad for him. 75% of his incredibly underdeveloped role consists of him eating something then letting it run out of his mouth. Embarrassing.

• Review by Rock ★★★

  This review contains mild spoilers.

  I like Dan Aykroyd. By definition, you can’t hate someone who is simultaneously a Blues Brother, a Ghostbuster, and a Doctor (Detroit). But with the exception of The Blues Brothers, literally the one time he has ever been close to cool, he’s hopelessly lame, and those other movies understand that. Aykroyd has a tendency to make a certain face, a smile with his eyebrows raised but without any wryness, that’s usually a signal that you’re in trouble, that the movie will present his lameness but not grasp the implications of said lameness. He makes that face on the poster of The Couch Trip, and it’s no surprise that he’s the movie’s biggest weakness. The plot…

• Review by dylan ★★★★★ 2

  i like when they let dan aykroyd play this kind of character

• Review by bulletproofQpid ★★★★

  "I love you passionately. From the first moment we met, I knew I aroused a powerful emotion in you. It was disgust, but I can build on that."

  I won the poster for The Couch Trip from a local video store back when I was a teen. It wasn't the one that I'd put my name in to win, I'd never seen it and I wasn't all that grateful for winning, but I did hang it up in my room and rented it. It really wasn't my cup of tea back then. There's not a whole lot in it that a 17 year-old can relate to and I hadn't branched out past action and horror films at that point. I…

• Review by daria ★★½ 1

  dan aykroyd singing fever by peggy lee in a mental hospital… that's how i feel about todd haynes' peggy lee biopic FEVER starring michelle williams

• Review by BrideyLee90 ★★★

  Charles Grodin is psycho funny