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Hollywood veteran Mark Wahlberg often faces difficulties when it comes to the critical or box office success of his movies. However, if there's one thing the Flight Risk star can often rely on, it's the triumph of his movies on streaming, with the regular top 10 of many a platform hosting at least one of his array of projects. The latest to prove popular is Instant Family, a comedy-drama starring Wahlberg and Rose Byrneas Pete and Ellie Wagner, a couple with no experience who dive head-first into the world of foster parenting by adopting fifteen-year-old Lizzy (Isabela Merced) and her two younger siblings, Lita (Julianna Gamiz), and Juan (Gustavo Escobar).

Currently, Instant Family is fifth in Netflix's top 10 most-streamed movies in the US, joining the likes of 2024 smash hit The Wild Robot, Vince Vaughn's latest film, Nonnas, and the streamer's latest Spanish film, A Widow's Game, in the list.

Mark Wahlberg is no stranger to comedies, with films like Date Night, Ted, and Daddy's Home. However, in 2018, he starred in a different type of film: the family comedy-drama Instant Family.

The comedy drama, which also starred Rose Byrne and Isabela Merced, followed a family who plans to adopt a baby, but ends up adopting three siblings. The film was a big success, and received positive reviews. After its initial success,Instant Family has found new popularity on Netflix, where it's been in the charts for the past two weeks, per Tudum.

The movie recently dropped on Netflix, and debuted in the charts for the week between May 12 and 18 in sixth place. It attracted 3.3 million views, with 6.6 million hours viewed. What's even more impressive is that all the views came from one territories: the United States. Domestically, it had debuted in third place.

For its second week, the movie went...

The streaming trend known as "newstalgia" continues, with forgotten TV shows and movies being presented to different audiences as if they were new. Netflix has been partaking in this trend for quite some time now. In fact, it might just be the king of newstalgia, as the streamer continues to churn up forgotten projects and give them a streaming-age renaissance.

In October 2024, for example, a forgotten Jason Statham actioner dominated the Netflix charts, only for yet another bygone Statham heist flick to top the Tubi rankings in April 2025. It's not just gruff British action stars that benefit from this phenomenon, either. The forgotten Dwayne Johnson action thriller "Faster" was reintroduced to audiences via Netflix in December 2024, while a forgotten Chris Hemsworth flop became an instant Netflix success in January 2025. Now, it's Mark Wahlberg's turn.

To be fair, Wahlberg has benefitted from the newstalgia trend as much as anyone, with...

Films centered on athletics continue to find critical and commercial success due to their ability to touch the hearts of even those who've never scored a point in sports before in their lives. Just as a newcomer to football can attend their first live game and find it exhilarating, anyone can tune into, say, a wrestling film and quickly relate to its universal themes of suffering and perseverance. Nike Athlete Anthony Robles' acclaimed new biopic Unstoppable is dropping on Prime Video soon and chronicles the NCAA champion wrestler's rise to glory amid harrowing challenges, including his broken family's financial hardships and — maybe you've heard this one — the fact that Robles was born with only one leg.

MovieWeb recently had the chance to speak with Robles, now a motivational speaker and published author, who is portrayed with a certain ferocity and grace by Emmy-winning actor Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight). Robles opened up...

The NCAA wrestling champion of a certain weight class in 2011 is a remarkable individual, and not just because he was born with one leg. Anthony Robles journeyed a tough road to glory and has continued to inspire budding athletes and dreamers in general in the years following his athletic dominance era, going on to become a published author, motivational speaker, and official Nike Athlete. And now, his acclaimed wrestling biopic is about to drop on Prime Video, adapted from Robles' engrossing autobiography, Unstoppable.

Award-winning actor Jharrel Jerome portrays Robles with a certain tenacity that is sure to continue the revival of the sports genre we saw in 2024 (with The Fire Inside and Day of the Fight). MovieWeb recently caught up with the rising star to learn more about what it took to tackle such a fierce and unique role. "When I got the part, I saw a YouTube video of Anthony,...

This review was originally published on September 9, 2024, as a part of our Toronto International Film Festival coverage.

It’s been a minute since a sports drama has made me teary, but Unstoppable is powerful storytelling that elicits an emotional response. Directed by William Goldenberg from a screenplay by Eric Champnella, John Hindman, and Alex Harris, Unstoppable is based on the true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), who, with only one leg, won the national wrestling championship in 2011. The sports drama is deeply moving, not only because of Robles’ phenomenal accomplishments, but his mother Judy’s (Jennifer Lopez), as well. It’s the kind of movie that’s simultaneously a feel-good tear-jerker that’s deeply personal in the themes it tackles.

Despite being born with one leg, Anthony Robles overcomes significant challenges both at home and in the competitive world of wrestling. His determination and relentless drive lead him to...

Every year, there's some kind of special occasion that calls for an extended visit with relatives. Maybe it's a family reunion, or everyone's hopping in the van and heading home for the holidays. Whatever the case, a good family movie can help the act of reconnecting with relatives feel a little easier.

Watch these movies as a heartfelt reminder of what it means to be a part of a family. These feel-good films offer themes about family that resonate with a more mature viewership. Viewers can watch them alone on the couch before meeting up with relatives, or together, as a way to bond with those they haven't seen in years.

Instant Family Is a Sweet Movie That Everyone Will Enjoy Director: Sean Anders

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 118 minutes Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

Instant Family shows the process of adopting a family and how it isn't always easy. Pete (Mark Wahlberg...

Stars came out for City Year Los Angeles’ 9th annual Spring Break: Destination Education.

Simon Cowell, Terry Crews, and Rebecca King-Crews

Credit/Copyright: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for City Year Los Angeles

Spring Break: Destination Education is the organization’s largest fundraising event and celebration where A-list celebrities and industry insiders, along with their teens and tweens, came out in support of education in Los Angeles. The event featured a special performance by Brynn Cartelli, as well as food, games and interactive booths sponsored by top brands including Amazon, Aramark, Comcast NBCUniversal, E!, Jp Morgan Chase/Atom Tickets, Karma Tequila, Netflix, People, RealD, Sony, Spotify, Walmart, and Westfield.

The event was attended by 1,400 guests and raised $2.2 million.

City Year AmeriCorps members and supporters including Jonathan Adams, Sheldon Bailey, Jaylen Barron, Parker Bates, Garcelle Beauvais, Paxton Booth, Bre-z, Yvette Nicole Brown, Logan Browning, Janie Bryant, Dan Bucatinsky, Sierra Capri, Tia Carrere,...

Hey, NCIS Los Angeles fans. Unfortunately, it's that time of the year again where we have to inform you guys that your favorite show is going on a little hiatus again. This time, the next, new episode 20 of this current season 10 is scheduled to not air next Sunday night,April 7, 2019. Instead, CBS has scheduled it to air on Sunday night, April 14, 2019. So, be sure to mark that very important date down on your TV show calendars. So, what is going to replace your beloved show in the CBS primetime line up next week? Well, according to the TV Guide listings, CBS has thrown your show to the side to provide Live coverage of the 2019, 54Th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards. That's right,guys. It's another one of these freaking Country Music Award shows that's the culprit this time. The CBS description for it reads like this, "Reba McEntire hosts the annual awards gala,...

If there was a film which proves the old adage never judge a book by its cover, Instant Family would be the prime example of it. Marketed as yet another “feel good comedy” with a family twist, the film has surprisingly turned out to have so much more depth and humanity than anyone would have imagined.

Directed by Hot Tub Time Machine writer Sean Anders, Instant Family not so much as redefines the family comedy, but it does the next best thing, it makes its audience care deeply and root for its protagonists in a way which is very rarely achieved within this particular genre.

Rose Byrne and Mark Wahlberg are Ellie and Pete, a hard working couple who despite having been together for some time find that they might have left it too late to have children of their own. Hilarity and much soul-searching ensues when our hapless duo...

DaniElle DeLaite talks to Mark Wahlberg and Daddy’s Home writer/director Sean Anders about Instant Family and bringing Ander’s true story of raising his own family and how this film is a love letter to them. Wahlberg talks about using his own family dynamic worked their way into the script, and how he jumped at the chance to make the film.

They both talk about working with a serious issue with a heartfelt edge, to best appeal to families of all kind. They acknowledged that many adoption stories begin with tragedy, and their determination to tell a truthful story as well as making a comedy.

The film also stars Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner, Octavia Spencer, Gustavo Quiroz and Julianna Gamiz.

Instant Family is out in the UK on the 15th of February, 2019. Here’s the interview.

The post Exclusive: Mark Wahlberg on the heartfelt adoption family comedy Instant Family appeared first on HeyUGuys.

UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital's 19th Annual “Party on the Pier” took place on Sunday, November 18, from 10:00am – 2:00pm at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.

Rico Rodriguez and Raini Rodriguez at Party on the Pier

Credit/Copyright: Getty Images

Chaired by Hillary Milken, proceeds from the event provide unrestricted funding to launch high-priority programs that benefit children being treated at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and around the world. Guests of the party had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of fun-filled activities including carnival games filled with fabulous Mattel, Inc. toys, unlimited access to rides, the Power of Play tent sponsored by the Goldhirsh-Yellin Foundation, cookie decorating provided by Ralphs/Food 4 Less, a Petite ’n Pretty makeover station, a celebrity photo booth, and much more!

Guests included Rachel Zoe, Leslie Grossman, Rico Rodriguez and Raini Rodriguez, Aubrey Anderson Emmons, The Stauffer Family, Lauren Elizabeth,...

UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital's 19th Annual “Party on the Pier” will take place on Sunday, November 18, from 10:00am – 2:00pm at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.

Proceeds from the event provide unrestricted funding to launch high-priority programs that benefit children being treated at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and around the world. Guests of the party will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of fun-filled activities including carnival games filled with Mattel, Inc. toys, unlimited access to rides, cookie decorating provided by Ralphs/Food 4 Less, photo booths with some of their favorite celebrities, and much more!

Expected guests include Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott, Rachel Zoe, Leslie Grossman, Rico Rodriguez and Raini Rodriguez, Aubrey Anderson Emmons, The Stauffer Family, Christy Carlson Romano, Lauren Elizabeth, Lauren Riihimaki (LaurDIY), Garrett Clayton, Lilia Buckingham, Nikki DeLoach, Sofie Dossi, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Jonathan Adams, Landry Bender, Paxton Booth, Michael Campion,...

So the family’s all together for the big holiday, well why not head over to the multiplex to enjoy a family film? And hey, “family” is even in the title. That’s what the studios are counting on, hoping audiences will go for a breezy all-ages comedy in between those somber awards contenders. Most of the time, the studios will go a couple of different ways with a “family” comedy/drama. Either it’s a multi-generational gathering of uncles and cousins like Parenthood and more recently, the reviled Love The Coopers, or it’s about a family with lots and lots of kids like Cheaper By The Dozen (original and remake) along with blended families like Yours, Mine, And Ours (ditto), which begat that iconic TV show and its feature film The Brady Bunch Movie. But this new flick has fewer kids and a message. The filmmakers want to...

Rose Byrne has played mothers in comedies and horror films, from Neighbors and Adult Beginners to the Insidious films. In Instant Family, she plays a foster mom jumping in the deep end with three kids. Ellie (Byrne) and Pete (Mark Wahlberg) decide to adopt a foster child, but they hit it off with a teenager, Lizzie (Isabela Moner) who already has two siblings (Gustavo Quiroz and Julianna Gamiz). They take on all three and try to make their Instant Family work. Byrne spoke with Monsters and Critics by phone out of New York. Instant Family is based on writer/director Sean […]

The post Exclusive interview: Rose Byrne on Instant Family appeared first on Monsters and Critics.

This year has blessed us with a beautiful film about a longtime childless couple who suddenly find themselves grappling with the prospect of parenthood. That movie, of course, is Private Life, a comedy-drama featuring deft, touching performances from Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn, which came out on Netflix last month. You should watch that instead of Instant Family, which is superficially similar and equally heartfelt but not nearly as insightful or hilarious.

Director Sean Anders — the director of Daddy’s Home and co-writer of We’re the Millers — has celebrated so-called unconventional and fractured families,...

Instant Family has a whole lot of heart. Director Sean Anders crafts a touching story about the difficulties and profound happiness adopting children. The film uses comedy to highlight the issues of the foster care system. Most prospective parents are looking for infants. They don't want the burden of raising "troubled" older children, especially teens. Instant Family is a testament to the people who care for abandoned children. It takes true compassion and love to embark on this journey.

Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) are a successful couple in suburban California. Their business flipping houses has finally taken hold. They are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Ellie argues with her competitive sister (Allyn Rachel) about having children. She was so busy working, the thought of a baby seemed ridiculous. Ellie goes online to research fostering children. She is deeply moved.

They decide to get certified as foster parents.

From “Lone Survivor” and “Deepwater Horizon,” to “Patriot’s Day” and “The Perfect Storm,” Mark Wahlberg devoted the last decade of his career to a hoo-rah brand of heroic nonfiction (it’s always tempting to trace this career pivot back to the actor’s useless claim that he could have stopped the hijackers on 9/11). But the 47-year-old star, ever the savvy businessman, has also hit upon a lucrative side hustle: blockbuster comedies. Low-key funny in earlier films like “Date Night” and “I Heart Huckabees,” Wahlberg parlayed that aspect of his persona into mega-hits like “Ted,” “Ted 2,” “Daddy’s Home,” and — wait for it — “Daddy’s Home 2”.

In hindsight, it was a matter of time before the actor decided to mesh his two favorite modes into a single movie: A broad comedy about Mark Wahlberg rescuing people from a real-life hardship. Yikes. While that prospect sounds terrifying on paper, not...

Commercial Hollywood comedies about the glory and absurdity of modern family life tend to come in two flavors: earnest and wack job. If Will Ferrell had starred in “Instant Family,” a comedy about an attractive, childless, edging-into-middle-age couple who take in a brood of foster kids who prove to be more trouble than they look, the movie would have been an over-the-top synthetic farce crammed with masochistic dad jokes; even the hugs would have been yocks. But “Instant Family,” starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as a happily married but vaguely saddened white-bread couple (they barely have a clue as to how much they need children!), who take a trio of Hispanic-American siblings under their untested wings, isn’t a zany obnoxious head conk of a movie.

It was directed, as well as co-written, by Sean Anders, who made “Daddy’s Home” and “Daddy’s Home 2” (which were that sort...

Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne adopt three kids at once in “Instant Family,” a film that looks, sounds, and sometimes acts like a dumb comedy. But stick with it, and you’ll discover that Sean Anders’ latest is an earnest, moving family drama that just happens to be kinda funny.

Anders, who previously directed mediocre-to-painful comedies like the “Daddy’s Home” films and “That’s My Boy,” starts “Instant Family” off his usual way, with adults who behave like overgrown children and a comedy flashback in which Wahlberg accidentally kills another kid’s father. The stage is set, and it’s tempting to give up and go home now, before the real show begins.

But “Instant Family” cleverly uses all that early, immature humor as a contrast, because once Pete (Wahlberg) and Ellie (Byrne) decide to adopt three kids, they’ve set themselves on a path to real maturity. Anders...

Too many family movies dismiss the challenges of parenthood and childhood with some feel good ending. Instant Family makes no bones that any happiness is going to come with challenges that won’t go away at the end of the movie, and it’s stronger for it. Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) decide to adopt a child who already needs a family. When they see how teenage foster children are ignored by other couples, they decide to take a chance on Lizzie (Isabela Moner). Lizzie comes with younger siblings Lita (Julianna Gamiz) and Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) so Pete and Ellie […]

The post Instant Family movie review: Instafam appeared first on Monsters and Critics.

The first trailer for Instant Family introduces a heartwarming and hilarious story based on director Sean Anders' real life. Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne portray a married couple who are looking to expand their family, just like Anders and his wife did. Wahlberg's Pete character and Byrne's Ellie turn to foster care, looking to adopt one child. However, they end up three siblings. The trailer features some of the ups and downs of starting an instant family, especially when one of the kids is a teenager.

Sean Anders is best known for comedies like Sex Drive, That's My Boy, and Daddy's Home, but Instant Family sees the director adding a dash of drama for this story. Along with the trailer for the film, Anders also released a behind-the-scenes featurette that shows his real-life family and explains how his own personal experience with adoption influenced the project. Right away, Anders...

Paramount has rounded out the cast of studio comedy, Instant Family.

Oscar nominee Octavia Spencer will join Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne in the feature, along with Transformers: The Last Knight breakout Isabela Moner. The newly announced cast also includes a trio of stand-up comedians: Tig Notaro, Iliza Shlesinger and Tom Segura.

Instant Family centers on a couple (Wahlberg and Byrne) who decide to start a family and adopt through the foster-care system, only to find themselves raising three wild kids who have no interest in being parented. Moner will play one of the foster kids, along with newcomers Gustavo Quiroz and Julianna Gamiz.

Daddy's Home director Sean...