The Parenting

I was a little skeptical at first about this movie because horror comedies haven't been very strong in recent years. When you think of great horror comedies, movies like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil or Shaun of the Dead come to mind, but it's hard to think of a recent horror comedy that was both enjoyable and genuinely funny. At first, this also sounded like just another haunted house movie, with the only twist being gay protagonists. However, the script by Kent Sublette and the direction by Craig Johnson proved me wrong.

The movie manages to be funny on multiple levels, and even though the humor didn't always land-which is completely normal for comedy movies-I laughed out loud a few times, which is pretty rare. It had a few great running gags, and some of the characters were absolutely hilarious. The cast was fantastic, with everyone completely understanding the assignment and portraying their characters in an enjoyable and funny way.

This won't go down as a horror-comedy classic, but it was quite entertaining, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I would have loved for the horror elements to be a bit stronger, as that could have elevated the movie even more, but otherwise, this is a solid film that was actually funny in many ways. [6,1/10]

Not every film intentionally sets out to be Oscar-worthy. Sometimes you make a film to showcase Brian Cox as something other than Logan Roy, and whether that was the intent or not, he was hilarious and crude and kind, and I really enjoyed it! Love seeing Edie Falco again, LOVE Lisa Kudrow and her quippy one liners, LOOOOVE Parker Posey, she can't do anything wrong, in my opinion. It's just a mindless horror comedy (though more Comedy and less horror), and that's honestly what we all need right now. I probably wouldn't set out to watch it again, but I'm definitely glad I decided to watch it today!

There are a lot of talented actors, but the movie itself seems completely lost. It doesn't know whether it wants to be scary or funny, and in the end, it's neither. The only real saving grace is Parker Posey, who, as always, steals every scene she's in with her charisma and energy. Beyond that, the so-called "jokes" feel tired and overused, the character development is clumsy and unnatural, and the pacing is unbearably slow. It drags on without any real purpose, making the whole experience frustrating. What could have been an entertaining film ends up as a messy, forgettable disappointment....

Just what I was in the mood for. Several laugh-out-loud moments! Nothing mind-blowing, just a fun escape with a little horror sprinkled in. I watched because it was listed as the No. 1 movie this Friday on Max, and I knew Brandon Flynn from 13 Reasons Why, and like him as an actor. Was also obsessed with Lisa Kudrow's character in this; her one-liners had me cracking up. Not too spooky that those who aren't into horror wouldn't enjoy it. The best friend Sara was also hilarious! Such a funny joining-of-families gone terribly wrong, but the band of misfits somehow work together. I would watch again!

The Parenting (I have no idea why this is the title of the film) is a fun movie on paper but never really lands, much like many of the jokes that the writers clearly tried hard to make work.

Loaded with Posey, Cox, and Kudrow-some of the well-known star cast-you'd feel this film couldn't fail. But it does so spectacularly, more often than not. This film tries to be so many things: a horror-comedy with a progressive storyline, a portrayal of dysfunctional but funny parenting (I assume this is what the title eludes to), and a feel-good family movie with a modern-day romance. Alas, in the end, it leaves you asking for more on all those fronts.

The performances by Posey, Cox, Kudrow, and the rest of the parents are good (though nothing extraordinary). However, the lead pair often seemed to lack both the sharp comedic timing and the heartfelt chemistry this film desperately needed.

That said, there are some funny moments here and there, which might make it worth streaming once.