22
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 63The Seattle TimesJohn HartlThe Seattle TimesJohn HartlHelms and Wilson are sometimes a stretch as brothers, especially in the more emotional scenes. But Close is majestic as the mother, a supporting role that feels bigger than it is.
- 45IGNAlex WelchIGNAlex WelchFather Figures is a baffling film, one that never seems to ever get a handle on what it is or what it wants to be. It’s one thing to make a movie about characters stuck in arrested development, unsure of where they’re going, but it’s another for the writing and editing to also feel that way. In short, Father Figures is just a straight-up mess.
- 40Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzArizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzEveryone here has been better, and funnier, in other things. This is a lazy story, wholly dependent upon the likability of its cast which, while considerable, isn’t enough to make it worth the trouble.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeAs the narrative limps along from one encounter to the next, a suspicion grows: Father Figures doesn't need to exist; but if it's going to exist, perhaps some sharper comedic talents could have developed it as a limited-run Netflix show, with each encounter developed as a half-hour episode.
- 38New York PostJohnny OleksinskiNew York PostJohnny OleksinskiThe scenes are either too heavy (the climax is the downer of the year), too sedate or too gross.
- 33The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThe A.V. ClubJesse HassengerIts scenes aren’t really long or improv-heavy enough to qualify as rambling, but they’re often slow enough to qualify as excruciating.
- 25San Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerSan Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerWilson and Helms favor Bradshaw in likability. But they are not two hours’ worth of likable, in a film this flawed.
- 25The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe comedy is limp; a sentimental, existential ending is cut-rate and unearned.
- 25TheWrapRobert AbeleTheWrapRobert AbeleWatching Father Figures is like finding a piece of food in the back of your fridge that you barely recognize, but know right away it’s not worth eating.
- 20VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanFather Figures...is a limply spritzing fountain of unconvincing (and unfunny) tricks out of the how-to-write-a-comedy-hit manual.