You know the feeling. It’s that slight cringe when you see four grown men, all pushing thirty, trying to squeeze back into the skin of awkward teenagers. It shouldn't work. By all rights, the The Inbetweeners 2 movie should have been a disaster—a desperate cash grab that tarnished the legacy of the E4 series. But somehow, it wasn't. It was actually kind of brilliant, in a "watching someone throw up in a fruit smoothie" sort of way.
Honestly, the stakes were high back in 2014. The first movie was a phenomenon. Then writers Iain Morris and Damon Beesley decided they didn't just want to write; they wanted to direct the sequel too. Bold move. They ditched the Ben Palmer-directed polish of the first film and went for something that felt a bit more cinematic, even if the "cinematic" part involved a lot more bodily fluids.
Why the Australian Outback almost broke the cast
The plot is basically a classic bait-and-switch. Jay, ever the pathological liar, convinces the boys to fly to Australia by claiming he’s basically a rockstar living in a mansion. He’s actually living in a tent. Classic Jay. But the filming of those scenes? That was a different story entirely.
They filmed in a place called Marree in South Australia. It is isolated. We’re talking no internet, no mobile reception, and a constant fear of things that can kill you. The crew actually had to carry 40 liters of IV fluid just to keep everyone hydrated. At one point, James Buckley (who plays Jay) genuinely thought he was having a heart attack. Turns out, it was just indigestion from too many chips and lager. You can't make this stuff up.
That water park scene (you know the one)
If you’ve seen the The Inbetweeners 2 movie, you remember the water park. It was filmed at Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast, though they called it "Splash Planet" in the script. It’s arguably the most famous sequence in the entire franchise.
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Let's talk about the physics of that log flume scene.
- The Build-up: Neil needs to go. Badly.
- The Descent: Gravity does its thing.
- The Result: Will ends up being chased by... well, let's just say it wasn't a chocolate bar.
Simon Bird, who plays Will, reportedly asked for "better-tasting" fake vomit for this movie. In the TV show, it was cold vegetable soup. For the film? They upgraded him to a fruit smoothie. It’s those little details of suffering that make the performances feel so authentic.
The box office numbers that shocked everyone
People love to hate on sequels, but the audience showed up for this one. It didn't just do "okay." It smashed records.
On its opening day in the UK, it raked in £2.75 million. That was the biggest opening day ever for a comedy in the UK at the time. It even beat the first film. By the time it finished its run, it had grossed over $63 million worldwide. In the UK alone, it outpaced massive blockbusters like Paddington. Think about that. Four idiots in a desert made more money than a beloved talking bear.
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What most people get wrong about the ending
There’s a common complaint that the The Inbetweeners 2 movie felt a bit "meaner" than the original series. And yeah, it’s darker. The scene where they’re stranded in the Outback and drinking their own... "resources" is hard to watch.
But there’s a layer of growth there.
For the first time, we see Jay actually show remorse. He’s miserable because he’s lost Jane (from the first movie), and his bravado is clearly a mask for depression. Even Will has a moment of realization about how hollow the "gap year traveler" lifestyle actually is. It’s not just a series of knob gags; it’s a funeral for their childhood.
Behind the scenes tensions
Working with your best friends is great until you're stuck in the desert. The cast has often joked about "infant regression" when they get together. They stop being adults and start acting like 17-year-olds again.
Iain Morris, the co-creator, mentioned in interviews that Simon Bird was actually the biggest troublemaker on set. He once tried to trick Joe Thomas (Simon) into jumping into Sydney Harbour right before they were supposed to start shooting. It’s funny because Will is the "sensible" one, but in real life, Bird seems to be the one pushing the boundaries.
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Is there ever going to be a third one?
The short answer? Probably not.
The long answer? Definitely not.
The actors are all in their late 30s or early 40s now. Watching 40-year-old men call each other "bus wankers" moves from funny to tragic pretty quickly. James Buckley has been very vocal about never wanting to play Jay again. He feels they finished on a high note, and he’s probably right. The The Inbetweeners 2 movie served as a definitive goodbye to the characters.
If you’re planning a rewatch, pay attention to the cinematography this time. Ben Wheeler, the director of photography, used a lot of wide, brassy shots that make Australia look beautiful and terrifying at the same time. It’s a huge step up from the flat lighting of the E4 episodes.
Next steps for your Inbetweeners deep dive:
- Check out the "making of" documentaries on the DVD or streaming extras; the footage of them in Marree is actually more harrowing than the movie.
- Track down the soundtrack—David Arnold (who does Bond scores!) and Michael Price worked on the music, which is why it sounds so much "bigger" than a sitcom.
- Look for the cameos from Australian acting legend David Field. The cast was actually terrified of him during filming because of his role in Chopper.