It’s pretty difficult to find coverage of Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie that’s not riddled with old weed puns. I guess that’s to be expected. Still, the wink-wink-nudge-nudge stoner references in headlines are a little trite when recreational marijuana is legal in nearly half the country and firmly embedded in the pop culture of all 50 states. As for the latter, much of that is because of Cheech and Chong. Without Up in Smoke, there would be no Half Baked or Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle or Evil Bong. Cheech & Chong essentially invented the stoner comedy, but that’s only part of the story.
Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie is a documentary framed as a road trip movie. The premise is that the influential comedy duo, who released a string of hit records and then movies, between the 1970s and 1980s, are on a road trip in the desert. As they head to a place called The Joint, they recount their life stories through interviews, archival footage and a few interjections from others who were there. Directed by David L. Bushell, who previously produced movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Dallas Buyers Club, the movie uses a few different devices to blur fact and fiction. This is all done to drive home one universal truth: No two people see the same situation the same way.
It was just by happenstance that I caught Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie. My husband and I had taken the train out to Oxnard so I could do some research for a story and had a couple hours to kill before the next train back to L.A. We just happened to walk by the Plaza Cinemas and noticed that Last Movie was playing. In fact, it was just about to start when I walked up to the ticket booth.
I mention that because a lot of Cheech & Chong’s story is the result of happenstance. But, it’s also the result of the counterculture that was taking shape in the U.S. at the time. If the country weren’t in the midst of the Vietnam War and a draft, Cheech, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, wouldn’t have been in Vancouver, where Chong was a musician who also had a nightclub where he had started an experimental improv theater group in the vein of The Committee in San Francisco.
As a historical piece, Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie is strong. There’s a lot of archival footage incorporated into the film and there’s never an assumption that the audience knows all the references. So, if you want the context of how and why Cheech & Chong came to exist, and then got as popular as they did, Last Movie does a good job of explaining that in an engaging way. And, if you know absolutely nothing about Cheech & Chong, you’ll still get something out of the film.
But, what’s really strong about Last Movie is how it captures the dynamic and the tension between the two comedians. That’s where the road trip narrative comes into play. You can see that the two don’t always agree with each other early on in the film, but, at it progresses, the arguments grow more heated. At certain points, it’s a bit uncomfortable to watch because you aren’t sure if they’re acting or if they’re really airing 40-year-old grievances. I would assume it’s both, but IDK.
Of course, there is a resolution, but you should watch the movie to see how this all plays out. Ultimately, Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie strikes a balance between buddy comedy and documentary and, by bringing those two styles together, it shows the bonds that remain between people even when they don’t see eye to eye.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs or listen to the latest Beatique Mix. Follow on Instagram or Bluesky for more updates.
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