The Parenting
A couple rents a countryside house for a weekend with their parents and then discover it's inhabited by a 400-year-old poltergeist.
ርልዪረ reviewed
14 March 2025•
If bringing families together is already a challenge in everyday life, imagine doing it in an isolated setting while also dealing with supernatural events. "The Parenting" takes this classic premise, mixing horror and comedy to create a weekend none of the characters will forget. The result is a film that plays with genre conventions without fully committing to any of them, balancing scares, humor, and a subtle exploration of family relationships. With a cast full of veteran talent and direction that knows how to handle both social awkwardness and well-timed scares, the movie entertains without necessarily reinventing the wheel. Its biggest strength lies in how it weaves these elements together cohesively, never letting one aspect completely overshadow the others.
The story follows Rohan (Nik Dodani) and Josh (Brandon Flynn), a couple who decide to bring their families together for a weekend getaway-a plan that already carries some natural tension, which only worsens when they realize the house they've rented is haunted. The script makes good use of the characters' dynamics, building the initial interactions with sharp humor and a generous dose of awkwardness. The arrival of the parents only adds to the friction: on one side, there's Frank (Brian Cox) and Sharon (Edie Falco), rigid and emotionally reserved; on the other, Liddy (Lisa Kudrow) and Cliff (Dean Norris), much more affectionate and open. The exchanges of snide remarks and uncomfortable glances set the tone for the film's first half, while small details subtly hint that something is off about the house.
The suspense builds effectively within the film's lighthearted approach, with subtle clues stacking up until they culminate in more explicit horror moments. The presence of Brenda (Parker Posey), the house's eccentric caretaker, already brings a mix of comedy and unease. The chalk circle on the floor, the full moon, and the history of past disappearances are introduced casually, but the looming threat gradually escalates until the first truly shocking scene-when Frank violently attacks Josh-flips the switch into supernatural horror. From that point on, the film leans into its more grotesque side, with possessions, high-velocity projectile vomiting, and sequences that feel like a "light" version of "Evil Dead."
The movie's biggest asset is its cast. Brian Cox is clearly having a blast playing a possessed patriarch, delivering a performance that swings between menacing and ridiculously funny. Parker Posey, with her natural knack for eccentric characters, steals every scene she's in, adding mystery and unintentional humor. Lisa Kudrow and Dean Norris have great chemistry as the more approachable, laid-back parents, while Edie Falco adds depth to her judgmental character, making her more human rather than just a caricature. Meanwhile, Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn work well as the central couple, though the film is far more interested in the interactions between the veteran actors than in their relationship.
Craig Johnson's direction keeps the pacing tight, never letting the film linger too long in either genre. There's a well-balanced blend of horror and comedy, something that could easily spiral out of control if the tone wasn't carefully managed. Kent Sublette's script, on the other hand, has a great sense of comedic timing, especially in how it integrates humor organically into the horror setting-like the creative way the characters accidentally utter a cursed phrase because it's the Wi-Fi password. Still, the film avoids excessive self-awareness or meta-humor, opting for laughs that come naturally from absurd situations rather than relying solely on references or parody.
Visually, "The Parenting" doesn't try to reinvent the horror aesthetic but makes solid use of classic elements. The house itself is a pretty generic "haunted mansion" setting, but the cinematography takes full advantage of its wide spaces and unsettling shadows to build tension. The practical effects are well executed, especially in the possession scenes, and the lighting in the final act-when the mystery of the house is fully revealed-adds a genuinely eerie atmosphere.
"The Parenting" knows exactly what it wants to be: a light horror flick that never takes itself too seriously but also doesn't descend into complete farce. It leans on its talented cast and sharp humor to make the experience more fun than scary, delivering well-placed jump scares, solid laughs, and a storyline that, while predictable, unfolds in an engaging way. It may not be a standout in the genre, but it works as a well-crafted piece of entertainment-one of those movies that's worth the watch and might even make some viewers think twice before saying random Wi-Fi passwords out loud.
ርልዪረ reviewed
14 March 2025•
If bringing families together is already a challenge in everyday life, imagine doing it in an isolated setting while also dealing with supernatural events. "The Parenting" takes this classic premise, mixing horror and comedy to create a weekend none of the characters will forget. The result is a film that plays with genre conventions without fully committing to any of them, balancing scares, humor, and a subtle exploration of family relationships. With a cast full of veteran talent and direction that knows how to handle both social awkwardness and well-timed scares, the movie entertains without necessarily reinventing the wheel. Its biggest strength lies in how it weaves these elements together cohesively, never letting one aspect completely overshadow the others.
The story follows Rohan (Nik Dodani) and Josh (Brandon Flynn), a couple who decide to bring their families together for a weekend getaway-a plan that already carries some natural tension, which only worsens when they realize the house they've rented is haunted. The script makes good use of the characters' dynamics, building the initial interactions with sharp humor and a generous dose of awkwardness. The arrival of the parents only adds to the friction: on one side, there's Frank (Brian Cox) and Sharon (Edie Falco), rigid and emotionally reserved; on the other, Liddy (Lisa Kudrow) and Cliff (Dean Norris), much more affectionate and open. The exchanges of snide remarks and uncomfortable glances set the tone for the film's first half, while small details subtly hint that something is off about the house.
The suspense builds effectively within the film's lighthearted approach, with subtle clues stacking up until they culminate in more explicit horror moments. The presence of Brenda (Parker Posey), the house's eccentric caretaker, already brings a mix of comedy and unease. The chalk circle on the floor, the full moon, and the history of past disappearances are introduced casually, but the looming threat gradually escalates until the first truly shocking scene-when Frank violently attacks Josh-flips the switch into supernatural horror. From that point on, the film leans into its more grotesque side, with possessions, high-velocity projectile vomiting, and sequences that feel like a "light" version of "Evil Dead."
The movie's biggest asset is its cast. Brian Cox is clearly having a blast playing a possessed patriarch, delivering a performance that swings between menacing and ridiculously funny. Parker Posey, with her natural knack for eccentric characters, steals every scene she's in, adding mystery and unintentional humor. Lisa Kudrow and Dean Norris have great chemistry as the more approachable, laid-back parents, while Edie Falco adds depth to her judgmental character, making her more human rather than just a caricature. Meanwhile, Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn work well as the central couple, though the film is far more interested in the interactions between the veteran actors than in their relationship.
Craig Johnson's direction keeps the pacing tight, never letting the film linger too long in either genre. There's a well-balanced blend of horror and comedy, something that could easily spiral out of control if the tone wasn't carefully managed. Kent Sublette's script, on the other hand, has a great sense of comedic timing, especially in how it integrates humor organically into the horror setting-like the creative way the characters accidentally utter a cursed phrase because it's the Wi-Fi password. Still, the film avoids excessive self-awareness or meta-humor, opting for laughs that come naturally from absurd situations rather than relying solely on references or parody.
Visually, "The Parenting" doesn't try to reinvent the horror aesthetic but makes solid use of classic elements. The house itself is a pretty generic "haunted mansion" setting, but the cinematography takes full advantage of its wide spaces and unsettling shadows to build tension. The practical effects are well executed, especially in the possession scenes, and the lighting in the final act-when the mystery of the house is fully revealed-adds a genuinely eerie atmosphere.
"The Parenting" knows exactly what it wants to be: a light horror flick that never takes itself too seriously but also doesn't descend into complete farce. It leans on its talented cast and sharp humor to make the experience more fun than scary, delivering well-placed jump scares, solid laughs, and a storyline that, while predictable, unfolds in an engaging way. It may not be a standout in the genre, but it works as a well-crafted piece of entertainment-one of those movies that's worth the watch and might even make some viewers think twice before saying random Wi-Fi passwords out loud.
