The Parenting

There is a specific brand of chaotic energy that only emerges when you trap four of the most formidable character actors of the last thirty years in a haunted Airbnb. Honestly, looking at the call sheet for The Parenting, I half-expected the film to manifest as a high-stakes HBO drama where everyone negotiates for ghost-rights over expensive scotch. Instead, director Craig Johnson—who gave us the wonderfully melancholic The Skeleton Twins—decides to take the "Meet the Parents" blueprint and douse it in ectoplasm and comedic adrenaline.

I settled into this one on a rainy Tuesday afternoon while my neighbor was seemingly auditioning for a heavy metal band in the apartment above me, and strangely, the rhythmic thumping of their bass only added to the mounting dread of the film’s first act. It’s a brisk 94 minutes, a runtime that feels like a rebellious act in an era where every mid-budget comedy thinks it needs to be a two-hour epic.

The Prestige TV Avengers

The setup is a classic trope: Josh (Brandon Flynn, of 13 Reasons Why fame) and Rohan (Nik Dodani, Atypical) are at that pivotal relationship crossroads where the parents must finally collide. They’ve rented a gorgeous, suspiciously affordable country estate to host the introduction. But the real draw here isn't the young lovers; it’s the generational titans who show up at the door.

You have Brian Cox and Edie Falco as Josh’s parents, Frank and Sharon. Watching the man who played Logan Roy and the woman who played Carmela Soprano share a screen feels like a glitch in the prestige TV matrix. They are joined by Lisa Kudrow and Dean Norris as Liddy and Cliff, Rohan’s parents. The comedic friction is immediate. Lisa Kudrow is doing a variation of her signature "delighted but slightly detached" routine that works perfectly against Dean Norris’s gruff, "just-want-to-watch-the-game" energy.

The first thirty minutes play out like a masterclass in social awkwardness. It’s the kind of relatable cringe that makes you want to crawl under your sofa, until the 400-year-old poltergeist starts making its presence known. At that point, the film shifts gears, and we realize that watching Brian Cox scream at an invisible entity is the emotional closure we all needed after Succession.

Horror with a Funny Bone

Horror-comedy is perhaps the hardest tonal tightrope to walk. Lean too hard into the gags, and the stakes vanish; lean too hard into the gore, and the laughs feel intrusive. Craig Johnson and screenwriter Kent Sublette manage to find a sweet spot by making the ghost’s antics an extension of the family’s existing dysfunction.

The poltergeist doesn't just throw plates; it targets the specific insecurities of these middle-aged parents. There’s a sequence involving a cursed artifact and a dinner table that is basically The Birdcage if Nathan Lane were being chased by a Victorian wraith. The scares are effective—utilizing some surprisingly sharp practical effects—but the real horror is the inevitable "honest conversation" that the supernatural chaos forces upon the group.

The cinematography by Hillary Spera (who shot the eerie Run Rabbit Run) gives the house a claustrophobic, amber-hued warmth that slowly turns sour as the night progresses. It doesn't look like a "streaming movie" in the pejorative sense; it has a rich, cinematic texture that highlights the dust motes and the rot behind the wallpaper.

A Modern Mid-Budget Miracle

In our current era of franchise dominance, a film like The Parenting feels like a bit of a throwback, even though it’s a 2025 release. It’s a self-contained story that doesn't try to build a "Poltergeist Cinematic Universe." It’s an R-rated comedy for adults that acknowledges that the most terrifying thing in the world isn't a vengeful spirit—it’s the judgment of your future in-laws.

While the "representation" aspect of having a gay couple at the center is handled with a refreshing "this is just who they are" nonchalance, the film’s real contribution to the contemporary conversation is its commentary on the "Airbnb-ification" of our leisure time. We’ve all stayed in those rentals that feel a little too lived-in, where the host’s list of rules is longer than a CVS receipt. The Parenting just takes that anxiety to its logical, blood-spattered conclusion.

If there’s a critique to be made, it’s that the younger leads occasionally get overshadowed by the sheer gravitational pull of the veteran cast. Brandon Flynn and Nik Dodani are charming and grounded, but it’s hard to compete with Edie Falco delivering a monologue while covered in something that looks suspiciously like cursed molasses.

Ultimately, The Parenting succeeds because it trusts its ensemble to carry the weight. It’s a tight, mean, and frequently hilarious romp that reminds us that comedy is often just tragedy plus time... plus a very angry ghost. It’s the perfect "Saturday night with a drink" movie, offering enough jumps to keep you awake and enough laughs to make the horror feel earned. You might think twice about your next weekend getaway, but you'll definitely have a blast watching this family fall apart and sew themselves back together.