"Just watched a really really bad movie" — Fans are so disappointed with The Parenting on Max

The Parenting is the latest comedy-horror film released on Max on March 13, 2025. Its star-studded cast, comprising Lisa Kudrow, Brian Cox, Edie Falco, and Parker Posey, created a lot of excitement and anticipation for the movie. However, it has managed to score only 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 18 critic reviews.

The film's sub-par plot, crude humor, and zany antics were not well-received by most viewers. Many of them slammed the film online, with one X user commenting:

"Just watched a really really bad movie on HBO/Max. 'The Parenting'. Awful awful."

Several viewers took to social media to mention how the film was a waste of their time.

"I fell asleep it was so bad. I wanted to like because of Lisa Kudrow but yeah it blew," said one user.

"Max's 'The Parenting' was quite a letdown. The movie wastes an amazing cast in a half-baked demonic possession horror-comedy that needed to be a lot sillier and funnier to work," wrote one user.

"I tuned out of most of it. It for sure had the social warrior agenda to it too," commented one user.

Some users described the movie as "sloppy" and criticized the Latin incantations used in it.

"The Parenting has to be the worst thing I've watched all year. Sincerely," a user remarked.

"It's a small point in a sloppy movie that seemed to pay little attention to its own story, but I really hated that the Latin they used was nonsensical. The demonic incantation used 'ego sum' ('I am') to mean 'I give,'" another added.

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What is The Parenting about?

In The Parenting, the romantic couple Rohan and Josh invite their parents for a weekend getaway at the remote Hazleton Fields farmhouse. Ro wants their families to get acquainted before he proposes to Josh in their presence. However, Rohan's adoptive parents, Frank and Sharon, dislike Josh and his parents, Liddy and Cliff, due to their working-class background.

Soon after arriving at the house, Frank unknowingly unleashes the 400-year-old demon, Andras, by repeating a Latin chant set as the Wi-Fi password by the house owner, Brenda. Andras possesses Frank's body and causes a lot of chaos to other members as well as the pets in the house. The families also have to contend with zombie-like apparitions that seem equally terrifying.

Andras's origin is revealed in a flashback sequence when a young Brenda and her friend Allie summoned the demon in the 1980s. When Allie got spooked by the ordeal and tried to back away, Andras killed Allie, her mother, and her brother as revenge. He spared Brenda's life so that she could help him find a physical body to take over.

In the film's climax, all the family members unite to defeat Andras by chanting the Latin words one after another, prompting the ghost to possess their bodies quickly. Without a clear body to inhabit, Andras grows weak and is killed when Frank delivers a fatal blow to its neck.

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A look at the film's cast and crew

The comedy-horror film is directed by Craig Johnson and written by the Saturday Night Live co-head writer Kent Sublette. It is produced by Chris Bender and Jake Weiner. Furthermore, Richard Brener, Jared Goldman, Dave Neustadter, and Chris Pan serve as the film's executive producers.

The Parenting showcases a young, romantic couple trying to get along with each other's families. Things take a scary turn when a centuries-old demon intervenes to ruin their family get-together.

The film's cast includes Brandon Flynn as Josh and Nik Dodani as his lover, Rohan. Lisa Kudrow plays Josh's mother, Liddy, and Dean Norris essays the role of Josh's father, Cliff. Brian Cox portrays Ro's father, Frank, and Edie Falco appears as Ro's mother, Sharon. It also stars Parker Posey as the house owner, Brenda, and Vivian Bang as the young couple's best friend, Sara.

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The Parenting is available to stream on Max.