It’s hard to stand out as a mid-budget straight–to-streaming action comedy. After all whether it’s Netflix, Prime Video, or Hulu it feels like we get several every single month so to its credit Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice does try to stand out by adding a time machine twist into the foray of blood soaked violence. However, outside of that detail, unfortunately BenDavid Grabinski’s latest effort feels ultimately a little bit forgettable.

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice follows Nick (Vince Vaughn), a gangster and assassin, who calls his best friend Mike (James Marsden) away from his secret affair with Nick’s wife Alice (Eiza Gonzalez) for a mysterious assignment that promises to change the future. The confusion ramps up when Nick and Mike return to Nick’s home, only to find another Nick alone in the house. It quickly becomes apparent, despite the initial chaos, that a future version of Nick has travelled back in time to save Mike from their mob boss Sosa (Keith David), who believes Mike is the rat responsible for sending his son Jimmy Boy (Jimmy Tatro) to prison and plans to kill him that very night.

Things grow even more convoluted, with present-day Nick (also Vaughn) not entirely on board with the plan to save Mike, alongside various subplots that attempt to add context to how and why the night unfolds as it does. Needless to say, there are plenty of twists and turns. Some are genuinely surprising, while others feel more like distractions than meaningful developments. Despite the chaotic set-up, it all ends up feeling more predictable than it should.

The action sequences, choreographed brilliantly by a stunt team that clearly had a lot of fun with some ridiculous yet entertaining set pieces, are a highlight. However, they are unevenly distributed across the runtime, leaving long stretches where the film noticeably drags, particularly in the middle. That said, those who stick with it are rewarded with a final act that delivers a far more graphic and gruesome climax than expected.

Perhaps the strongest element of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is its comedy. For the most part, the jokes are simple and not especially layered, but the film is self-aware and leans into that tone effectively. There’s also some genuinely funny commentary on Gilmore Girls that provides consistent laughs.

There are attempts to create emotionally resonant moments throughout, with a particularly big swing in the final act. However, with fairly lacklustre character development outside of the central affair, it’s difficult to become truly invested in anyone on screen. As a result, these moments land more like a shrug than the tearjerker they aim to be.

Vince Vaughn and James Marsden are great, though. Their back-and-forth banter elevates some of the more middling material into something more memorable, with both actors displaying impeccable comedic timing. In a much smaller role, Eiza Gonzalez unfortunately doesn’t leave much of an impression by the time the credits roll.

As streaming films go, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is easy to follow, easy to digest, and very straightforward in nature. It does exactly what it says on the tin, offering decent at-home entertainment that viewers can dip in and out of without needing to give it their full attention. It’s a fun premise, solidly executed, but one that will likely blur into the growing pile of action comedies released on streaming this year without much to set it apart.