Marking a return to big-budget comedy for Vince Vaughn, the time-travel action comedy Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice premiered Saturday at SXSW, but it’s the ensemble cast that brings the laughs.
In writer/director BenDavid Grabinski’s romp, Vaughn and James Marsden star as partners in organized crime, Nick and Mike. As their crime family celebrates the freedom of the boss’ (Keith David) recently incarcerated son Jimmy (Jimmy Tatro), Mike sneaks off to rendezvous with Mike’s estranged wife Alice (Eiza González), with whom he’s been having an affair.
Their romantic evening is cut short when Nick comes knocking with a special job for Mike, his last before he leaves the “organization.” It turns out, this Nick is from the future, and he needs to stop his present self from making a mistake that leads to Mike getting killed.
It’s a fun action comedy that’s a little light on the jokes, instead relying on situational humor and Vaughn’s signature quippy timing, which feels a little rusty. Of all his co-stars, he has the least comedic chemistry with himself, playing both Future Nick and Present Nick, which makes for several monotone pieces of dialogue.
Albeit, there are some emotional stakes to the character’s arc of wrestling with his past mistakes, as well as to the love triangle between three people who truly care about each other, despite their pasts (and futures).
Meanwhile, González displays excellent comedic timing and emotional depth, even straddling the two with some manic quirks that manage to steal any scene in which she appears.
The supporting cast also carries much of the comedic weight, from Tatro’s recently incarcerated gangster Jimmy Boy to Emily Hampshire’s crooked cop Sam and Arturo Castro’s inept henchman, appropriately named Dumbass Tony.
As far as the comedy goes, there’s several recurring Gilmore Girl references throughout the film, including a debate that comes out of left field and lasts a bit longer than one might expect from a meat-and-potatoes action comedy.
The high-octane action sequences, which feature some cool motion-blurred shots, provide pacing and extra entertainment value. Imagine if John Wick huffed spray paint. And while the time-travel plot is admittedly a little predictable at times, it’s fun to watch the dots connect and root for the good guys to get their happy ever after.
Fans of the actor might enjoy the movie’s double dose of Vince Vaughn, but it’s the supporting cast of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice that makes it great (it might have been a tad complicated to squeeze all their names in that title). As a famous time traveler, whose name escapes me, once said, “I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet. But your dads are gonna love it.”
Title: Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Festival: SXSW (Headliner)
Distributor: 20th Century Studios
Release date: March 27, 2026
Director-screenwriter: BenDavid Grabinski
Cast: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Stephen Root, Lewis Tan, Ben Schwartz, Emily Hampshire, Arturo Castro
Running time: 1 hr 47 mins