1. The Hook & The Vibe: Family Tension with a Supernatural Twist ๐
If you think introducing your queer partner's parents to your own conservative or overly eccentric family is a nightmare, Craig Johnsonโs The Parenting (2025) is here to tell you: it could be significantly worse. Written by Saturday Night Live alum Kent Sublette, this Max Original is a fast-paced, star-studded black comedy horror that takes the well-worn "meet the in-laws" trope and aggressively throws it into a haunted, blood-splattered blender.
The premise follows young gay couple Rohan (Nik Dodani) and Josh (Brandon Flynn), who book a cozy, picturesque countryside rental for a weekend getaway. The goal? To finally introduce their respective, wildly incompatible parents to each other. On one side, we have the ultra-traditional, rigid duo of Sharon (Edie Falco) and Frank (Brian Cox); on the other, the aggressively laid-back, modern hippies Liddy (Lisa Kudrow) and Cliff (Dean Norris). As the social friction between the four veteran parents begins to ignite, the group quickly discovers that the estateโmanaged by an incredibly eccentric local named Brenda (Parker Posey)โis already occupied by a malicious, 400-year-old evil entity
2. The Slate: A Glittering Masterclass in Ensemble Acting ๐๏ธ
The Comedy Royalty Showdown: While Flynn and Dodani provide a charming, grounded emotional center as the young couple trying desperately to hold the weekend together, the true joy of the film belongs to the legends playing their parents. Watching Brian Cox bring his signature, terrifying Succession-style gravitas and pit it directly against Lisa Kudrowโs unmatched, spacey comedic timing is pure cinematic gold. Parker Posey, playing the chaotic property manager, naturally steals every single scene she walks into.
Sitcom Pacing with Gory Spikes: Craig Johnson directs with a bright, high-energy aesthetic that feels like an elevated, R-rated sitcom. The film does not try to be a slow-burn psychological horror film like Hereditary. Instead, it utilizes dynamic editing and physical comedy, keeping the dialogue sharp and snappy until the entity takes over and the narrative leans heavily into delightful, chaotic practical gore effects.
3. Beyond the Screen: Subverting the Heavy "Coming Out" Drama ๐ฌ
For the QueerFilmHub community, The Parenting represents a highly entertaining shift in how LGBTQ+ families are portrayed in mainstream comedy. For years, the comedy or drama surrounding a gay couple introducing their parents revolved entirely around homophobia, shame, or coming-out anxieties.
Johnson and Sublette completely bypass that exhausting dynamic. Rohan and Joshโs relationship is already fully accepted; their sexuality is not the source of the conflict. Instead, the humor comes from the universal, deeply relatable social horror of generational, cultural, and political clashes between in-laws. The ultimate realization that it takes a literal demonic possession of a parent for these stubborn, older generations to finally look past their superficial differences and unite to protect their children is a brilliant, campy subversion of modern family politics.
4. The Toolkit: Aesthetics & Access ๐ ๏ธ Genre: Black Comedy / Horror / LGBTQ+ Ensemble Runtime: 90 minutesWhere to Stream: Available exclusively on Max.Recommended For: Audiences looking for a lighthearted, deeply funny, and star-studded popcorn flick, fans of ensemble comedies (like Knives Out or Ready or Not), and anyone who wants to see legendary dramatic actors completely lose their minds in a horror-comedy playground.
The QueerFilmHub Verdict:
๐ The Parenting (2025) ๐ doesn't reinvent the wheel of the horror-comedy genre, but it is an absolute blast of an ensemble piece. Fueled by the visible joy of its iconic powerhouse cast chewing the scenery, Craig Johnson delivers a beautifully chaotic, highly refreshing queer-led holiday nightmare. It is the perfect reminder that no matter how stressful your family gatherings get, at least nobody is getting possessed by a medieval poltergeist. Our Rating: 7.2/10 ๐๐๐ป
