Get ready for a bumpy ride: RuPaul and a splendid ensemble cast bring the disaster movie back with a bang
Leave it to RuPaul to leave no stone unturned in the busy and competitive industries of entertainment and merchandising. Prior to crowning queens on his/her hit television talent series RuPaul’s Drag Race – now in its 18th season, with countless spinoffs to boot (a gorgeous, knee-high lace-up leather one, Hunty), she has been the host of her own talk and comedy shows, featured in so many films, published several books, been a brand ambassador for the likes of MAC and LA Eyeworks, has had science name a super-fly species after her, alchemised her own fragrance, manufactured her own candy, and even released a self-modelled doll – actually, a mostly-naked doll that makes Barbie look like an angel girl. Now, Ru can add film executive producer to the CV, thanks to the release of new disaster-dramedy movie, Stop! That! Train!
Directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), the film follows BFFs Tess (played by fab Drag Race alum, Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (ditto, Jujubee), who are train stewardesses trading their dreary jobs on the unfortunately-called Stank Rail for the far glitzier Glamazonian Express. As its name might suggest, the bullet-speed and opulent design of the Glamazonian Express makes the chug-chug-chugging and teak paneling of even the Orient Express fade rapidly in the rear view.
Just as Tess and DeeDee are starting to blend beautifully into their glamorous new environment, they’re singled out and given a good reading from mean girls uber mole first-class attendants, Amber, Ayshleiygh, and Alli (respectively played by Brooke Lynn Hytes, Symone, and Marcia Marcia Marcia).
When a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatens to derail the high-speed train and crash it into somewhere in Florida, the duo in coach must join forces with their snobby coworkers, along with Madame President Gagwell (RuPaul) to save the day.
In a cutaway political press conference scene, I couldn’t believe I almost didn’t recognise Michelle Visage looking like drag queen Penny Clifford from Sydney death-trap venue, Stonewall Bar, circa 1999 in her role as a vicious journalist with a vicious tongue, purposely trying to push Madame President’s buttons. Visage gives her faux-vitriolic all to the camera – the bitchy facade (and caked makeup) so layered, you know you’re watching brilliant, comedic performance here.
Anyway, back in that speeding train. Against its backdrop of obulence drinks/dines/dances a well-heeled motley crew of character passengers, each outperforming – not each other – various caricatures on the LGBTQIA scenes who make us such a fun, diverse, occasional frictional community. It’s fun (if you’re queer or queer-friendly) trying to spot which one is like you on that train. It’s an ensemble that stars some of television and film’s most beautifully self-deprecating, brilliant performers. My only wish was that the appearances by luminaries like Nicole Sullivan, Missi Pyle, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Nicole Richie, and Sarah Michelle Gellar could have gone on for longer. You can read the full cast list below, but Rachel Bloom, Paul Scheer, Lisa Rinna, Natasha Leggero: Nail, head. Boxes, ticked. Even seeing and hearing Leggero’s socially-bereft character simply talking incessantly on her cell phone throughout the entire film is hilarious. She’s like, still making phone calls when it’s all about the voice notes and voicebank messaging now. And that’s funny.
“You’re ah…’: Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose apparent cameo (as herself) evolves into more of a very memorable supporting act. And still, no one on this train full of conceited egos seems to know who she is.
Extra applause for June Diane Raphael whose every move and line onscreen (and in just about everything she’s been in) is worthy of a meme to supercede eras. So histrionically brilliant is she at playing that bitch, that when she goes to light up a joint while the other passengers are going crazy all around her, you just want to take the seat next to her and scoob up.
RuPaul Charles as Madame President Gagwell in ‘Stop! That! Train!’ which he co-executive produced with longtime collaborators Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, and Tom Campbell.
This film’s got headtrip humour and slapstick mindstick, crafty teachable moments between catty critiques on wokeness, morality flying out the window, heck, humans flying out of windows. It’s got laughs and but-what-if-it-really-happeneds. It’s got lipstick, it’s got more lipstick (thank you, Jackie Santangelo). It’s even got disco-inflected, 80s-influenced numbers! My favourite!! There’s fun poked at wokeness, and wokeness whipped right back in when it’s needed. There’s give-it-to-me-straight realness and give-it-to-me-gay surrealness.
Where I was expecting a whole lot of done-to-death eye-rolling and obvious drag queen bitching, I was instead treated to excellent, sometimes blatant, sometimes subliminal, but always clever gags. There are certain reads that sound like they could have come from Drag Race, but much of the humour is fresh and original, even with the obvious Airplane! (Flying High! in Australia) overtones.
For me, personally, watching this big, beautiful mess on the big screen was like a flashback of 30-something years of time (I came out at the age of 19 and I’m not good at math). Like a rapidfire supercut of my very gay life. I didn’t exactly see the light in any of it. In fact, it’s Pure T filth – the entire show. But through that calamitous mess, my gods, I laughed.
On a final aesthetic note – because it’s drag at the heart of this film, after all – cheers to the sheer fishness of its superb drag queen cast. These actors are each so fishy, that I don’t think the words ‘trans’ or ‘gender’ entired my mind once throughout… not until Jujubee’s DeeDee starts to have one of her fantasies. Speaking of which, that pocket rocket hottie Brian Jordan Alvarez (who plays DeeDee’s beau co-conductor), I’ll put it to you gay. Honey, I am bookmarking your IMDb page and whenever you’ve got something new coming out, have your people call my people.
Stop! That! Train! is a laugh-a-minute (laugh-every-30-seconds, actually) ride of a movie. An altogether refreshing, fun and fabulous film.
‘Stop! That! Train!’ is in cinemas including Luna and Palace Cinemas from August 13. View the official teaser here:
TRAINSPOTTING
Here’s the full cast – ensemble, really – of the very funny Stop! That! Train!
- Ginger Minj as Tess
- Jujubee as DeeDee
- Brooke Lynn Hytes as Amber
- Latrice Royale as Barbra
- Marty Lauter as Alli
- Monét X Change as Protester
- Symone as Ayshleiygh
- RuPaul Charles as President Judy Gagwell[7]
- Sarah Michelle Gellar as Famous Actress
- Nicole Richie as Workaholic
- Raven-Symoné as Shayna Gefilte Manischewitz, the Florida Reporter
- Michelle Visage as Reporter 1
- Chris Parnell as Conductor Davenport
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Business Person
- Charo as Sexy Traffic Controller
- Brian Jordan Alvarez as Co-Conductor Cal
- Natasha Leggero as Person on Phone
- Drew Droege as Rich Gay
- Joel McHale as Male Passenger 2
- Rachel Bloom as Donna Dusk
- Guy Branum as Train Traffic Controller
- Daniel Franzese as Dishevelled Man
- Riki Lindhome as Reporter 2
- Mayan Lopez as Pregnant Woman
- Missi Pyle as Horny Divorcee
- Jerry O’Connell as Bickering Husband
- June Diane Raphael as Chic Woman
- Lisa Rinna as Sceney Celebrity
- Jai Rodriguez as Reporter 3
- Matt Rogers as Press Secretary
- Paul Scheer as Male Passenger 1
- Nicole Sullivan as Bickering Wife
- Angeria Paris VanMicheals as Amelia
* Paragraph edited / updated on September 11, 2026.
Northern Exposure: Highlights of this year’s Nordic Film Festival
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