Father of the Year
Father of the Year
5.250%
Before he leaves for NYC, college valedictorian Ben visits his trailer-park loser dad, then argues with Larry about whose dad can kick the other dad's ass. Loser dad hears of this and tries to beat up doormat dad. Chaos follows.
Manuel Frangis reviewedApril 15, 2025
I just watched Father of the Year and I give it 3 out of 5 stars. This movie is exactly what it looks like. A silly, over-the-top comedy that does not take itself seriously and is mostly here to be loud, dumb, and hopefully funny. It is not trying to be deep or clever. It is just a lowkey Netflix comedy with some moments that work and others that totally miss. And honestly, sometimes that is fine.
The story is pretty simple. Two recent college grads are talking about whose dad would win in a fight, and somehow that leads to a full-on chain of chaos that messes up their lives. It is a ridiculous setup, and the movie knows it. From there it just leans all the way into the stupidity. If you are expecting something smart or emotional, you are in the wrong place. But if you are in the mood for something dumb and loud with a few decent laughs, it kind of works.
David Spade plays Wayne, and this is definitely him doing his full-blown trashy dad routine. He is rocking a mullet and a weird voice and just doing the most. He is completely out of control and most of the movie’s jokes come from him being either drunk or completely unaware of how insane he is. Some of it lands. Some of it feels like it is trying way too hard. But at least he is committed to the bit.
The younger cast is decent. Joey Bragg plays the son, and he brings some balance to the wild energy going on around him. He is the straight man here, reacting to all the nonsense his dad is dragging him into. There are a few emotional beats between them that try to sneak in some heart, and while they do not go very deep, they are a nice break from all the yelling and chaos.
Tone-wise, the movie is all over the place. Sometimes it feels like it is trying to be a buddy comedy, other times it is just pure slapstick, and then randomly it tries to throw in something heartfelt. That kind of unevenness makes it a little hard to get into. You can never really tell what it is trying to be. But if you are watching it casually without expecting much, it still has some entertaining scenes.
The humor is very hit or miss. Some jokes are funny just because of how stupid they are. Others feel recycled or forced. A few moments actually caught me off guard and made me laugh out loud. But there are just as many that made me roll my eyes. It really depends on your mood. If you are in the right mindset and just want background noise with a few laughs, it gets the job done.
I give Father of the Year 3 out of 5 stars because while it is not great, it is watchable and has a few solid laughs if you are in the mood for something dumb and fast. Overall Father of the Year is a low-effort comedy with some decent moments, a wild performance from David Spade, and just enough chaos to keep you watching