The Parenting

"Meeting the parents... it's a necessary evil."

2025 1h 34m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🥫

49%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.7

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 173🥫49%Rotten Tomatoes●45Metacritic★5.7IMDB · 9,423

HorrorComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Boyfriends Josh and Rohan plan a weekend getaway to introduce their parents, only to discover that their rental is home to an ancient demon.

“Meeting the parents... it's a necessary evil.”

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Where to watch · US

HBO Max Amazon ChannelSubscription

HBO MaxSubscription

Cast

Brandon Flynn
Josh
Nik Dodani
Rohan
Brian Cox
Frank
Edie Falco
Sharon
Lisa Kudrow
Liddy
Dean Norris
Cliff
Vivian Bang
Sara
Parker Posey
Brenda

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Craig Johnson
Writers: Kent Sublette
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released last year.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Craig Johnson, shot by Hillary Spera. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nathan Larson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Josh Crockett shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Brandon Flynn and Nik Dodani and Brian Cox carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Meeting the parents... it's a necessary evil.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt14041896 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Craig Johnson directs. Hillary Spera behind the camera. Nathan Larson scores. Josh Crockett cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released last year.
2Directed by Craig Johnson, shot by Hillary Spera. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Nathan Larson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Josh Crockett shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Brandon Flynn and Nik Dodani and Brian Cox carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Meeting the parents... it's a necessary evil.".
7IMDB entry: tt14041896 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Hillary Spera
Original score: Nathan Larson
Editing: Josh Crockett
Production design: Mark White
Costume design: Virginia B. Johnson
Makeup / hair: Kimberly Amacker
VFX supervisor: Jamie Macdougall
Sound: Luciano Vignola
Stunt coordinator: Don Lee
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Parenting (2025)
Rotten Tomatoes: 49% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 45/100
IMDB rating: 5.7/10 · 9,423 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

4 nominations total

Also by

Craig Johnson

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2025-03-12
★ 7/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/the-parenting-review/ "The Parenting stands out by how it transforms family chaos into an engaging spectacle, amplified by a cast at the top of their game. The interactions between characters crackle with energy and authenticity, making the conflicts, misunderstandings, and even the most absurd moments feel both believable and hilarious. An outstandingly relatable flick that, while not reinventing the genre, finds its own charm through an honest portrayal of family relationships - imperfect, tense, but ultimately held together by love." Rating: B
Horseface2025-03-30
★ 1/10
Unwatchable. This is one of those new Hollywood releases where HDR means they hire a blind guy to do the mastering and let the luminance max out at ten percent. When it's daytime in the beginning, you can make things out - it's like watching something at night through sunglasses - but once it gets to be nighttime, it's just darkness. Avoid, save your money, cancel your subscription.

Production companies

Who made it

Good Fear
US
New Line Cinema
US

Key crew

ProducerJake Weiner
ProducerChris Bender
CastingRich Delia
Executive ProducerJared Ian Goldman
Costume DesignVirginia B. Johnson
Production DesignMark White
Set DecorationJennifer Engel
Stunt DoublePaul E. Short
Extras CastingBrett Duffy
Dialogue EditorMatt Rigby
Sound Re-Recording MixerLuciano Vignola
Sound Re-Recording MixerMartin Czembor
Assistant Sound EditorAllen Lau
Executive ProducerRichard Brener
Executive ProducerChris Pan
Executive ProducerDave Neustadter
EditorJosh Crockett
Music SupervisorSusan Jacobs
Unit Production ManagerJared Ian Goldman
First Assistant DirectorRichard L. Fox
Second Assistant DirectorCary Lee
Visual Effects ProducerAdam Lagattuta
Stunt CoordinatorDon Lee
Stunt CoordinatorKen Barefield

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

poltergeist
gay theme
gay couple

Release history · US

When it landed

Digital2025-03-13R· Max

Also known as

International titles

家教CN
一屋冤鬼亲家CN
РодительствоRU

6.3