Athletic Mockumentary Comedy On Max With Olympic-Sized Thrills
If you’ve been enjoying the coverage of the 2024 Olympics lately, you likely already know that the world of peak athleticism can serve as the grounds for plenty of hilarious comedy. One 2015 film allows sports fans from around the world to see this play out in stunning fashion, as a pair of goofball tennis champions spend a full week battling it out on the court, much to the chagrin of the viewing public. The film, 7 Days In Hell, was an HBO original mockumentary, which is currently streaming on Max.
7 Days Of Action Jammed Into 45 Minutes
7 Days In Hell was written by American Dad and King of the Hill producer Murray Miller, and directed by Jake Szymanski, who is best known for helming the film Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, as well as all 8 episodes of the Freevee original series Jury Duty, which premiered in 2023.
The film serves as an off-the-wall comedy loosely based on the 2010 Wimbledon men’s single match between Jon Isner and Nicolas Mahut, which famously lasted for 3 days, totaling over 11 hours of play.
In addition to being uproariously funny and packed with talented performers, 7 Days In Hell manages to keep things mercilessly brief with a run time of just under 1 hour, making it a perfect low-commitment weekend watch.
Andy Samberg Is The Bad Boy Of Tennis
The film centers on Andy Samberg’s Aaron Williams as he prepares to take on Kit Harington’s Charles Poole in a landmark Wimbledon championship game.
The game has been aggressively hyped by members of both the American and British public, as the players’ intertwined backstories have generated an intense level of interest in their exhibition.
Aaron, who is known as the “bad boy” of the tennis world, was adopted and raised by Richard Williams alongside Venus and Serena, and maintained a near-perfect record on the court before losing it all in a haze of controversy decades before 7 Days In Hell takes place.
Increasingly Bizarre As Time Passes
Charles Poole, on the other hand, is a child prodigy who once looked up to Williams’ performance, though he has grown to believe he is a better player than Williams due to the latter’s years away from the court indulging in illicit drugs and engaging in public scandals.
As 7 Days In Hell builds to a thrilling climax, the duo wind up facing off for an entire week, facing new bizarre circumstances each day.
Over the course of the hilarious mockumentary, multiple streakers interrupt the match, personal demons shared by the players come to light, and Richards is even struck by a moving vehicle, which may or may not have been driven by Poole.
Big Games Require Big Names
When 7 Days In Hell initially premiered back in 2015, both Andy Samberg and Kit Harington were massive names at the top of their game, leading the casts of Saturday Night Live and Game of Thrones respectively. Needless to say, their star-power brought a lot to the off-beat project, though 7 Days In Hell enlisted the talent of numerous big-name stars, including Fred Armisen, Will Forte, John McEnroe, David Copperfield, Howie Mandel, and voice-over narration from Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm.
Pure Athletic Insanity
GFR SCORE
Today, 7 Days In Hell is streaming on Max, just in case you needed a little extra athletic insanity in your life during the latest Olympics cycle. The film has amassed a certified fresh critic score of 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, due to its off-the-walls story beats, hilarious performances, and snappy documentary style delivery.
