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Playdate

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for Playdate PG-13 2025 1h 34m Action Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
23% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 57% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
When recently unemployed accountant Brian (Kevin James) agrees to a playdate with charismatic stay-at-home dad Jeff (Alan Ritchson) and their sons, he expects an easy afternoon of small talk and football tossing. Instead, he's thrust into a chaotic scramble to stay alive as they are pursued by a ruthless team of mercenaries. Brian stumbles through one ridiculous obstacle after another, his zero tactical skills a stark contrast to Jeff's oddly prepared demeanor. Director Luke Greenfield (Let's Be Cops, The Girl Next Door) hilariously collides suburban dad life with high-stakes thrills, transforming an ordinary afternoon into an absurd action-packed adventure where minivan mayhem meets professional hitmen.
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Playdate

Playdate

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Critics Consensus

Playdate is a bewildering mix of dated machismo, dull comedy, and chaotic action.

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Critics Reviews

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Craig Mathieson The Age (Australia) Nov 20
3.5/5
The final act loses steam, but there’s comic lunacy here worthy of MacGruber. Go to Full Review
Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter Nov 13
Playdate isn’t a movie. It’s a compendium of clichés in search of one. What’s even worse is that the clichés are so stale. Go to Full Review
Brian Tallerico RogerEbert.com Nov 12
1/4
It’s a remarkably stupid movie that thinks you’re remarkably stupid too Go to Full Review
Chris Joyce Movies and Munchies (YouTube) Dec 10
3.5/5
Alan Ritchson and Kevin James are perfectly mismatched to create an endearing and heartwarming duo who, despite the dysfunction, build a dynamic and charismatic pairing that’s the perfect mix of dumb and fun. Go to Full Review
Jennifer Green Common Sense Media Nov 25
2/5
Commentary on fatherhood, toxic masculinity, and military culture can be found buried in this silly high-jinx buddy flick with nonstop action. Go to Full Review
Korey Coleman Double Toasted Nov 23
Playdate is the worst movie of 2025 because it's so annoying. There is not one likeable character in the whole film. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jamie S @RT17989716 1d I love the humor so funny See more BCN W @RT73158920 2d It’s a movie for kids—for dads and their boys—and I loved it! I understand why it might disappoint some people. It’s a sensitive, human, and fun movie. Super sweet! See more Jennifer S @RT02407008 3d I don’t understand what’s wrong with people! I have never laughed so much in my entire life. My husband and I just got done watching this and I swear this is the best thing I have done with 90 minutes in the last five years. You have to go into this recognizing that it’s not a serious movie. Kevin James and Alan Ritchson are fantastic , not to mention the two kids! And the producers didn’t disappoint, I was hoping that there would be outtakes and, spoiler alert, there are! As long as you can get past the obvious product placements, this movie is full of absolute ridiculousness. See more Victor T @RT09186069 Jun 20 Kevin James as Brian Jennings: Brian is a recently laid-off forensic accountant who finds himself thrown into the deeply unfamiliar waters of being a stay-at-home stepdad. He is desperately trying to bond with his stepson, Lucas (played with delightful theatrical energy by Benjamin), a kid who would much rather dance than throw a football. James plays Brian with a familiar, weary energy—he is the ultimate straight man, ground down by life, just trying to survive a Wednesday afternoon. ​Alan Ritchson as Jeff Eamon: Enter Jeff, the new neighborhood dad. Ritchson, famous for his stoic, bone-crushing role in Reacher, turns his entire screen persona completely on its head. Jeff is a hyper-athletic, golden-retriever-brained stay-at-home dad who desperately wants to be Brian's best friend. He brings along his son, CJ, an eerily quiet kid with freakish super-strength. ​The dynamic between James's exasperated, beta-male skepticism and unhinged alpha energy is the engine that drives the film. See more Asif R @RT36668201 Jun 16 I fell into the sunk cost fallacy when I did not shut this movie off after 30 minutes. I will unfortunately never get this time back that I wasted watching who knows what this was. Hard to believe that this type of bad acting and writing can still happen in 2026. If you had just told AI to create the whole thing, I bet it would’ve done a much better job. P.S. Alan Ritchson - not sure what you were trying to do by taking this movie. You’ve had such a good record so far before this movie. See more Moncha H. @MonchaHelloFIlm Jun 13 Playdate gets a lot of mileage out of its comedy, and honestly that’s the main reason to stick around. Kevin James and Alan Ritchson bounce off each other well enough to keep things entertaining, and there are some genuinely funny moments scattered throughout. That said, the plot is a mess. It doesn’t try to be smart and it doesn’t need to, but even by dumb action-comedy standards it’s hard to follow without rolling your eyes. The characters are likable for the most part, though a few scenes feel unnecessarily over the top in ways that don’t really add anything. The visuals are a weak spot too, especially with the phone tracking stuff looking noticeably off and cheap. It’s a fun enough watch if you go in with low expectations, but don’t expect much beyond the laughs. See more Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis When recently unemployed accountant Brian (Kevin James) agrees to a playdate with charismatic stay-at-home dad Jeff (Alan Ritchson) and their sons, he expects an easy afternoon of small talk and football tossing. Instead, he's thrust into a chaotic scramble to stay alive as they are pursued by a ruthless team of mercenaries. Brian stumbles through one ridiculous obstacle after another, his zero tactical skills a stark contrast to Jeff's oddly prepared demeanor. Director Luke Greenfield (Let's Be Cops, The Girl Next Door) hilariously collides suburban dad life with high-stakes thrills, transforming an ordinary afternoon into an absurd action-packed adventure where minivan mayhem meets professional hitmen.
Director
Luke Greenfield
Producer
Jason Benoit, Mark Fasano, Luke Greenfield, Sean Patrick O'Reilly
Screenwriter
Neil Goldman
Distributor
Prime Video
Production Co
Nickel City Pictures, Amazon MGM Studios
Rating
PG-13 (Smoking|Sexual Material|Some Drug References|Strong Language|Violence/Action)
Genre
Action, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 12, 2025
Runtime
1h 34m