The Parenting

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 Parentjng is a truly bizarre experience; whoever this writer and director are have somehow got the funding together for a mid sized budget to house and an impossibly prolific cast to appear in what can only be described as one of the silliest, most derivative and thinly stretched scripts I've seen in some time. And yet.. the cast they got somehow manages to make it worthwhile on their collective manic energy alone. The story sees a gay couple rent an Airbnb out in the country so that both sets of their parents can meet and they can all get some downtime. Right off the bat the woman they get the keys from (Parker Posey in full on loopy mode) is just super odd, and of course the house happens to be haunted by a very dysfunctional demon. The two gay dudes aren't the most memorable actors but their parents are played by Brian Cox, Edie Falco, Dean Norris and Lisa Kudrow, which is quite the impressive lineup. The running gag is that Cox's character gets possessed by the destructive demon and this is where the film comes as close to inspired as it ever can: strutting about the house ass naked instructing anyone who will listen to look at his dick, cheerfully slashing up anyone close to him with a bread knife and barking out lots of homophobic slurs (the demon comes from a less enlightened time, one character informs us), he is the absolute star of the show here and even in a hopelessly underwritten comedy that relies on shamelessly cheap and vulgar gags, Cox is just one of the best to ever do it and makes his scenes hum with an anarchic, almost Evil Dead vibe. Posey also chews scenery in the few appearances she has, bookending the film with her manic pixie energy that is always welcome. It's not a good movie by anyone's standards and I'm frankly surprised it even got made let alone with this cast, but it has some hilarious moments and flashes of comedic brilliance, mostly thanks to Cox and willingness to get weird and wave his schlong around. Streaming now on CraveTV.

I wanted to like it, but If it wasn't for the supporting cast this wouldn't have worked, but they make it watchable. The humor is shallow and clichéd, but the performances are the backbone of this one.

The star power of the cast is really the only selling point here, and without them it's not worth the watch. Brian Cox was hilarious and demonstrated his range once again. Lisa Kudrow and Dean Norris actually complement each other quite well here. Parker Posey breathes life into the tired caricature of the cooky stranger, Edie Falco was meh and the two main characters lack good chemistry and depth.

Not a bad movie, it's just flat. It has redeeming moments, but for the most part, pairing a cast this talented with such a mediocre script leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

This movie doesn't take its self seriously and is basically a horror rom-com intentionally making fun of clichés and such. It's not reserved whatsoever so prepare to hear things out of nowhere that just make you giggle. The visual effects are mostly practical and not CGI which is where I believe this film gets a rating boost from me. The hate that most horror films receive is the story is not developed and blah blah blah, its a solo horror movie, just take an hour and a half and enjoy this silly little film with some friends or family. Overall the cast was perfect for their characters and it's a fun quick film.

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....