Spoiler-Free Review of “The Parenting” on Max: Horror Version of Meet the Parents Fails to Find the Fun.

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“Are you sure there’s nothing I need to know about your parents…”

The Parenting premiered on Max on March 13th 2025. The comedy horror film stars Brandon Flynn, Nik Dodani, Lisa Kudrow, Edie Falco, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, and Dean Norris. It runs for approximately an hour and thirty-four minutes.

Boyfriends Josh and Rohan set up a weekend getaway so that their parents can meet one another, but they soon realize that the place they are renting may be haunted by a dangerous spirit.

Here is the trailer:

The Parenting has a fun premise and cast, but does it do enough to earn a a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Max

Terrific ensemble.

Honestly, this cast was practically perfection. The dynamic between the families was fun at times and Lisa Kudrow stole the show as always. I wanted a little bit more screen time for some of the other characters, but I thought that everyone put forth their best effort here.

The premise for this one was actually really fun…Meet the Parents, but make it horror. Sounds entertaining, right? It should have been, but unfortunately the idea worked a lot better than the execution…

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Max

Cheesy scares…

I get that it’s not easy delivering a fantastic horror comedy. Films like Shaun of the Dead, Happy Death Day, and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil managed to do so, but I usually appreciate the effort for most horror comedies as long as they can deliver on at least one side of the genre.

Unfortunately, The Parenting was neither funny nor scary. The scares were so ridiculous. I would have been fine with this if it could have delivered from a comedy angle (similar to Scary Movie), but I didn’t really find this film that funny. There were a few moments that got me to chuckle, but most of it felt drawn out, over-exaggerated, and silly.

The final act went way off course and dragged this film down even more, wasting the talent of these great actors.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Max

I’m out on this one…

The Parenting should have been tons of fun with such a spectacular cast, but it failed to deliver as a horror comedy, leaving me wanting so much more. 

This wasn’t the worst film I’ve seen by any means, but there really wasn’t anything that enjoyable about it. I was thoroughly disappointed because I love horror comedies.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Parenting in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Staircase” on HBO Max: Colin Firth and Toni Collette star in the latest true crime dramatization

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“She fell down the stairs…”

The Staircase premiered on HBO Max on May 5th 2022 with the first three episodes available to stream now. There will be eight episodes in total that will air weekly. The crime drama series stars Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Sophie Turner, Parker Posey, Olivia DeJonge and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Each episode runs for approximately 60-65 minutes.

Based on the true story of Michael Peterson and the suspicious death of his wife, this true crime dramatization presents us with different angles of the story. 

Here is the trailer:

The Staircase has an all-star cast, but is there enough new content here to keep its audience captivated? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

The Staircase Spoiler Free 1

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Top-notch ensemble.

I expected Colin Firth and Toni Collette to be brilliant. They are pretty much brilliant in everything so that’s a given but I was really impressed by some of the other performances. The siblings really gave believable performances and I thought that everyone added something necessary and meaningful with their roles.

Solid mystery.

If you’re familiar with the crime and the original documentary series of the same name, then you know what to expect here. However, if you’re coming into this one with fresh eyes, you may get a lot more out of it because the mystery is a decent one.

The Cons:

The Staircase Spoiler Free 2

Images courtesy of HBO Max

Slow moving and stale at times…

The performances definitely helped matters, but I struggled through these episodes. The opening was pretty strong, but then things started to move at a much slower pace. The episodes are super long so it was difficult to hold my attention at times.

So am I in or out?

The Staircase Spoiler Free 3

Images courtesy of HBO Max

I’m in about 75 percent…

The Staircase delivers with wonderful performances, but it has some serious pacing issues and I’m not sure it will be able to give us the satisfying ending we are looking for based on the outcome of the case. If you’re familiar with the original documentary series, you can probably skip it, although there are some decent moments sprinkled in.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Staircase in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!