The Parenting

Is it a cinematic masterpiece?

Well, no... But does the fun the cast and crew had making it show through?

Absolutely.

Decided to have a drink and watch a random recommended movie and this did not disappoint. From the first scene with the most in-your-face exposition drop I knew this was going to be one to just sit back, turn my brain off, and enjoy some silliness. It's a great concept and the film doesn't try and pretend to be more than that. Also, the casting is fantastic and all the actors were a blast to watch.

If you're looking for a great critique on the horror comedy genre look elsewhere, but if you just want to watch a fun horror comedy movie then this is worth the hour and a half runtime.

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.

Look, for what it's worth, i don't find this movie to be terrible. However I do think it fails in comedic aspect. So many awkward moments that were supposed to be funny but just didn´t land for me.

I found the horror elements better creating a weird mix of horror with cringy dialgogue. To add to that, despite having a great cast it just felt they were underutilized.

The premise of the film was quite fun and I do believe it had so much potential. That and the actors (especially Brandon Flynn´s charismatic presence) made me hang on till the end.

If you want to watch a film that blends horror with humor there are better ones like The Cabin in the Woods.

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]

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.