Movie · 2026 · Comedy, Family · 1h 40m · PG · English
Curator score: 0.5/10 (18.1K ratings)
One dad. Three kids. Zero clue.
Overview
After his wife Katie lands a once-in-a-lifetime deal on Shark Tank that takes her on a prolonged business trip - lifelong breadwinner Nate Wilcox now has to fend for his family as a first-time stay-at-home dad.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.5/10
IMDb: 7.7/10
Letterboxd: 2.62/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 20%
Metacritic: 32
TMDB: 7.4/10
Director
Eric Appel
Production
Wonder Project, TriStar Pictures, The Nateland Company, One Man Canoe, TSG Entertainment
Cast
Nate Bargatze, Mandy Moore, Stella Grace Fitzgerald, Birdie Borria, Charlotte Ann Tucker, Colin Jost, Will Forte, Martin Herlihy, Zach Cherry, Kumail Nanjiani, Brett Cullen, Kate Berlant, Lori Greiner, Maddox Batson, Jared Curtis, Aaron Weber, Brian Bates, Dusty Slay, Maggie Toomey, Kevin O'Leary
Curator Review
Verdict
A broad, wholesome dad-comedy with a few likable performances, but the consensus points to thin writing, heavy product placement, and a familiar premise that feels dated rather than fresh. It may work as harmless background family viewing, but it does not sound especially rewarding in a crowded subgenre.
Best for
Viewers who want an inoffensive, easy PG family comedy
Fans of Nate Bargatze’s deadpan stand-up persona
Families looking for a light movie with low stakes
Skip if
You want sharp, original comedy
You’re sensitive to obvious brand integration and sitcom-style plotting
You’ve already seen plenty of fish-out-of-water parent comedies
You prefer films with more emotional depth or wit
Overview
This looks like a perfectly serviceable studio family comedy built around a familiar reversal: the dad who thinks he has it together is suddenly the one learning the domestic ropes. The setup is sturdy, and the cast seems game, but the material sounds more pleasant than inspired. The strongest reactions suggest it lands as mildly amusing at best and irritatingly corporate at worst.
Worth noting
There’s some appeal in the cast’s easygoing charm and the movie’s wholesome, low-stakes tone. If you like clean, broad comedies that aim for comfort over edge, it may do the job. But the heavy product placement and recycled premise make it feel more like a relic of an earlier era of studio comedy than a standout entry.
Bottom line
For most viewers, this is an easy pass unless you specifically want a family-friendly dad comedy and already enjoy the lead’s style. It seems designed to be harmless, not memorable, and that’s probably the fairest way to judge it.
Top Letterboxd reviews
wyattswan (2.5★) · 346 likes
the real winner here was me bc of how happy i was when it finally ended
🏳️⚧️💕Belle Forger💕🏳️⚧️ (0.5★) · 240 likes
One of the worse films I’ve seen this year. (Dies of cringe)
Unfunny, full of advertising (if you play a drinking game of Toyota salesman of the year you’ll be dead by the end), no soul and just boring.
Also does that one thing I really hate. All dads in this film end up being weird or straight up dumb. Movie really talks down to father figures in a really gross manner which I found extremely disrespectful.
Bad movie but there is one positive thing here. I don’t have to see the trailer to this anymore. I’m free from the breadwinner era. Awful film.
Marnie the Bobaholic🏳️⚧️🧋 (2★) · 133 likes
Those girls are exactly like Margo, Edith, and Agnes from Despicable Me
Ali (2.5★) · 130 likes
Nate Bargatze's long-term plan appears to be becoming Walt Disney for people who treat Applebees like a place of worship. i respect the vision. they stopped making this exact movie in 2006 and i think its existence is some kind of ominous indicator of a recession. every economic indicator is fake except for whether a major studio releases a comedy about a dad learning how groceries work. hollywood only produces movies like this when the nation is about to learn a… more Nate Bargatze's long-term plan appears to be becoming Walt Disney for people who treat Applebees like a place of worship. i respect the vision. they stopped making this exact movie in 2006 and i think its existence is some kind of ominous indicator of a recession. every economic indicator is fake except for whether a major studio releases a comedy about a dad learning how groceries work. hollywood only produces movies like this when the nation is about to learn a… more
J.T. Miller (2.5★) · 109 likes
I need to see a follow up where Nate Wilcox is in the backrooms
2018 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 58m · PG-13 · Curator 3.8/10 (137.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus Premium, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A more modern, emotionally grounded take on the chaos and learning curve of becoming responsible for a family.