I didn't know that I was looking for a queer centric campy horror comedy, but The Parenting delivered exactly that.
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A lot of horror movies and comedies are derived from intense exaggerations of normal experiences. For example, a fun camping trip can turn horrific or hilarious depending on who or what's involved. Dude we don't know shows up with knife, it's a horror movie. Everyone starts tripping on drugs and struggles to find their way back to the tents. It's a comedy. Family car somehow falls off a cliff and explodes, could go either way. And that middle ground is where a lot of great horror comedies lie. Take a comedy movie and add a horror element. In today's case, that's a "Meet the Parents" setup with a dash of demonic possession.
The Setup
The movie features Josh and Rohan, two long-term boyfriends that have rented a house in the country to introduce their parents to their partners and each other. But concerns about everyone getting along go out the window when it becomes clear that the house they're renting is home to an angry-as-hell ghost with murder on its mind.
I had a blast with this movie. It's quick, very silly, very campy with solid moments of sweetness peppered in.
It also makes a lot of great decisions when it comes to casting and its setup. In the casting category, our three young leads are up and coming performers including our two boyfriends, Josh played by Brandon Flynn and Rohan played by Nik Dodani, along with their anarchic best friend Sara played by Vivian Bang. But the parents and even the renter are all played by a bunch of known middle aged actors all playing their roles to the rafters including Brian Cox and Edie Falco as Rohan's adoptive parents, Lisa Kudrow and Dean Norris playing Midwestern goodness incarnate and a chaotic Parker Posey as their rental host.
It's a nice way to hook in audiences who may not have a given a queer centric movie as much attention, and also means we get to watch a bunch of seasoned actors have a bit of fun with this campy as hell movie and let the new cast shine at the same time.
Premise wise, considering that this is two men doing a "Meet the Parents" setup, your first concern might be that someone is going to be homophobic or some kind of intolerant. Instead it's a more of a culture and personality clash with Rohan's Eastcoast Elite upbringing and parents being unsure of what to do with the sweet but flighty Josh and his overtly earnest Midwestern Coded parents (i.e. there's a dish they call crazy noodles that has no semblance of spices).
And as it turns out, having a demonic possession both amplifies the pressure and gives everyone involved a chance to prove their worth whether it's Rohan demonstrating courage or Josh going to bat for Edie Falco's prickly Sharon.
But the real reason I love this movie is because it is a non-stop chaotic joke fest with a bunch of quality actors giving their all and playing to their strengths. So say someone walks into a room possessed. Edie Falco is trying her best to explain it all away. Dean Norris gives a typical guy "holy shit that's weird" response that's completely unhelpful. Lisa Kudrow gives a deadpan aside that crushes. Meanwhile Brandon Flynn, Nik Dodani and Vivian Bang are all in the middle of a hilarious screaming match about who's doing what to help.
Mix and match these elements with a bunch of haunting scenarios and we've got ourselves a grand old time.
Mix and match these elements with a bunch of haunting scenarios and we've got ourselves a grand old time.
And because tonally this thing is a romp from start to finish, you can get swept up in the absurdity versus being overtly concerned about the outcome.
The Verdict: A Delight
I didn't know that I was looking for a queer centric campy horror comedy, but The Parenting delivered exactly that. 8/10
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