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‘Madre’ Review: A Mother’s Unraveling Sparks an Elusive Connection in This Powerful Drama

Ryan lattanzio, deputy editor, film.

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Know you’re in for a wild emotional ride when the word “mother” is in the title of a movie. Darren Aronofsky wrought biblical hell upon us with “mother!,” Bong Joon Ho showed us that you could be perhaps too good a mom in “Mother,” and Pedro Almodóvar painted a ravishing ode to screen goddesses with “All About My Mother.” (Oh, and in the French film “Ma Mère,” Isabelle Huppert dabbles in incest.) Enter Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “Madre” into the canon of warped movies about motherhood. Marta Nieto turns in a great performance in this intimate yet epically shot drama about how a mother’s worst nightmare sparks a fleeting but unforgettable connection. What could’ve been an exploitative affair between a mother and the doppelgänger of her lost child is instead a certainly unsettling but strangely touching new movie.

Set against the clammy coastal enclave of a French beach town, “Madre” revolves (often quite literally, as much of the film appears to have been shot on a pivoting gimbal) around Elena (Nieto) as the mother of a missing child. Ten years prior to the central events of the movie — and presaged by a harrowing single-take sequence that contains one of the most excruciating phone calls in cinematic history — Elena’s son went missing while on a trip with his father. Nieto potently captures Elena’s panic as it becomes apparent that the boy, then six years old, is being kidnapped in real time.

Now a decade later, Elena and her husband are very much estranged. She lives on that very beach where her son went missing, works at divey local cafe, and even has a new relationship with the patiently doting Joseba (Alex Brendemühl). Still, she’s visibly haunted and pained by the events prior, but a splash of hope drops into her world when she espies a handsome teenage surfer by the sea. Later, they meet properly at her cafe, and he asks for her number.

No, the young man, Jean (Jules Porier), is not Elena’s son. But there’s certainly a resemblance, and he has a hypnotic hold on her, made obvious in tight closeups and that ever-revolving camera that constantly seems to encircle the pair as they get to know each other.

Though the nature of their relationship is surely beyond the realm of the platonic, it never quite dives into the sexual. Sorogoyen, who based “Madre” off his 2019 Academy Award-nominated short film of the same title, keeps Elena and Jean’s dynamic constantly tilting into flirtation but there’s a nurturing and, yes, mothering current to their relationship. Elena is projecting her lost son onto Jean as much as he is projecting his need for a mother figure onto her. At the rental property where Jean is summering with his Parisian family, things are not right. There are suggestions that Jean’s parents are abusive and, also, there’s the fact that his reedy mother looks almost exactly like Elena, but a decade or so older.

While “Madre” closely keeps its focus on Elena and Jean, there is a third act detour in which Elena meets up with her estranged ex Ramon (Raúl Prieto), but the encounter only results in anger and reopened wounds. “Madre” careens into melodrama in its final hour, and ends on a far less harrowing phone call than the first, but one that doesn’t necessarily carry the emotional significance it seems to promise.

But there are plenty of volcanoes of emotion to be experienced throughout the film’s spacious two-hour-plus running time, and within its fabulous vistas courtesy of cinematographer Alejandro de Pablo. “Madre” turns out to be the least twisted, and most empathetic, entry in the damaged mother movie canon in some time.

“Madre” is available via virtual cinemas and on VOD platforms now. Head to Strand Releasing’s webpage for more details.

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Metacritic reviews

• 75 Observer Emily Zemler Observer Emily Zemler While the plot and characterization occasionally falter, Lopez is charismatic, tough and—it has to be said—totally ripped.
• 75 IndieWire Jude Dry IndieWire Jude Dry If they can look past their own internal biases, The Mother should satisfy even the most diehard action fans, while leaving the door to some new ones.
• 63 Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips The second half of The Mother settles for the usual. But getting there makes for a fairly diverting series of melees in the name of child protection, with services rendered by a tough-love mom who does it all.
• 60 The New York Times Lisa Kennedy The New York Times Lisa Kennedy Apart from some deadpan exchanges between the Mother and Zoe, Lopez plays the role fierce. Even so, it isn’t always clear which gestures in the film should be taken seriously, and which make sport of the genre’s masculine posturing while offering an allegory about a birth mother’s sacrifice.
• 60 The Hollywood Reporter David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter David Rooney I’ll take this JLo as “nobody fucks with me or my daughter” killing machine, discovering her long-hidden maternal instincts, over those grimly generic rom-coms she cranks out once a year, which might as well be direct-to-inflight movies.
• 59 Paste Magazine Jesse Hassenger Paste Magazine Jesse Hassenger Lopez indulges a different form of movie-star vanity than simply making herself over as an unstoppable woman of action. The movie pretends to conceal her mothering sensitivity, but it’s actually flaunting the same maudlin old-man sentimentality that drives so many Liam Neeson vehicles, minus the genuine anguish Neeson can usually summon on cue.
• 58 The A.V. Club Courtney Howard The A.V. Club Courtney Howard It’s decent but a tad too restrained for its own good.
• 58 Collider Tania Hussain Collider Tania Hussain The character-driven action epic from director Niki Caro is at times imbalanced and lacks subtlety. Yet, like its lead, it manages to get the job done.
• 50 Variety Owen Gleiberman Variety Owen Gleiberman The movie, which should have been 90 minutes long (it’s 116), is lumpy and inflated, it’s sketchy yet a touch grandiose, and it’s full of tersely dramatized scenes that somehow feel overly broad.
• 20 The Guardian Peter Bradshaw The Guardian Peter Bradshaw It’s a script which shows every sign of having had plenty of rewrites, though perhaps it could have done with a few more.
• See all 26 reviews on Metacritic.com
• See all external reviews for The Mother

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Reviews aren’t loving “Mother of the Bride,” but is it a good watch?

D irected by Mark Waters, Mother of the Bride stars Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, and Sean Teale in the lead roles. IMDb shows 4.9 ratings out of 10 with 72 total ratings for the film.

Let’s see how this rom-com has been doing since it was released on May 9, 2024, on Netflix.

Mother of the Bride Reviews, A Mixed Bag

The New York Times describes the film as a “tired romantic comedy,”  whereas The Guardian gave mixed reviews with two stars out of five. Benjamin Lee from The Guardian also said that the film is slightly cut above just how bad these things can get, but not enough edge.

The film has received mixed reviews, and the director, Mark Waters, has been said to miss out on his magical touch. He is popular for his works, including Ghosts of Girlfriends Post, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Mean Girls, Freaky Friday, Vampire Academy, and more. Mother of the Bride is written by Robin Bernheim.

The film’s cast members include Miranda Cosgrove in one of the leading roles, Emma. Brooke Shields plays Lana, whereas Benjamin Bratt plays Will. The film received 24% on Rotten Tomatoes positive reviews.

Metacritic has given a score of 38 out of 100, which includes 8 critics reviews. Hence, one can say that the reviews for the film are generally unfavorable. Common Sense Media’s Jennifer Green gave a three out of five score to the movie Mother of the Bride.

Mother of the Bride, is it Worth a Watch?

As the name suggests, the film revolves around the bride and her mother. Emma, played by Miranda Cosgrove, the daughter, returns with the surprising news that she is getting married. Her mother, Lana, played by Brooke Shields, comes across her college-time love at her daughter’s wedding in Thailand.

It would be exciting to see how two exes, who met for almost two decades of their lives, and their son or daughter want to marry each other without knowing any of their parents’ college and past lives. Emma has no idea that her future-father-in-law used to be her mother’s love and that he broke her heart years ago. 

Lana wants the best for her daughter, but what will she do when she finds out that the groom’s father used to be her college romance? How will she explain all these things and complications to her daughter? If you haven’t watched Mother of the Bride yet, stream it on Netflix now!

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• DVD & Streaming

Mother of the Bride

• Comedy , Drama , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Brooke Shields as Lana; Benjamin Bratt as Will; Miranda Cosgrove as Emma; Sean Teale as RJ; Rachael Harris as Janice; Chad Michael Murray as Lucas; Michael McDonald as Clay; Wilson Cruz as Scott; Tasneem Roc as Camala; Dalip Sondhi as Harley; Sahajak Boonthanakit as Pastor Harit; Sue Swallow as Katrina

Home Release Date

• May 9, 2024
• Mark Waters

Distributor

Movie review.

When RJ proposed to Emma, she only had one concern: “How am I going to tell my mom?”

She was right to be a little concerned. After all, Emma had never even told her mom, Lana, that she and RJ were dating . But to Emma’s surprise, Lana takes the news rather well.

Then, Emma drops another bombshell on her mother: The wedding is in a month, at a resort in Phuket, Thailand. The wedding’s covered by Emma’s work, a large resort corporation that wants to use Emma’s ceremony to promote their resort and venue.

All things considered, Lana takes that information pretty well, too. In fact, Lana’s rather cool-headed when she arrives at the resort and meets RJ for the first time.

And that’s when she meets RJ’s father, Will. But unlike RJ, this isn’t the first time Lana’s met him.

In fact, unbeknownst to everyone, Lana and Will dated long ago, back when they were in college, before Will allegedly ghosted her out of the blue.

And when Lana sees Will again for the first time in decades … well, let’s just say she doesn’t take it well.

Positive Elements

Throughout the film, Lana gets quite a bit wrong. But to her credit, she does have a much-needed difficult conversation with Emma regarding the wedding. Emma has allowed her resort company to plan the entirety of the event as little more than a massive advertisement, and Emma is so focused on her job that she refuses to push back as decisions are made for her. They’ve even gotten rid of any reference to the charity Emma wanted to promote. But Lana reminds Emma that the wedding is hers , not her company’s, and encourages her to speak her mind.

Likewise, Lana and Will connect over the melancholy joy they feel about the wedding. They recognize that they’ve raised their children so well that they’re now “obsolete,” as Emma and Will can now take care of themselves. That moment of reflection on parenting is a high point in the film.

Lana says that Emma is “never going to be able to trust RJ,” despite how much Emma loves him. Because of her insecurities, Lana is convinced that RJ will treat Emma the same way RJ’s father treated her. However, when Emma voices her concerns to RJ, the groom reassures Emma that he has no doubts in his mind about his love for her.

Spiritual Elements

We see a massive statue of Buddha. Various people practice yoga. We hear a reference to fate.

A priest tells the wedding audience that marriage is a holy estate that is not to be entered into lightly. Lana tells Emma that Emma’s deceased father is with them in spirit. Lana sarcastically tells Emma that she is “literally about to marry the son of Satan.”

Sexual Content

Lana accidentally walks in on Will as he’s leaving the shower, and we see the naked man, his midsection covered by a hat. He’s also seen in boxers.

Lana, Will and other adults strip to go skinny dipping in the ocean. As they run into the water, we see them from behind, though the sunny water makes them appear as shadowy figures, making it hard to discern much. Later, they’re reprimanded by resort security for the stunt, and other guests and workers smile at them as they walk by, betraying how much they know.

Two men are gay partners and occasionally comment on the attractiveness of other men.

Emma’s aunt, Janice, fires off many sexual references. She objectifies a couple of men, as well as making crude jokes about the male anatomy and sex. Likewise, Lana makes a couple comments, such as having underwear that’s older than a potential date. Someone makes a joke about Lana’s rear. Lana asks Emma if the quick wedding is due to a pregnancy, and Emma denies that as the reason.

People are seen in swimsuits. A few women wear low-cut dresses. We hear a sly reference to STDs. RJ and Emma kiss.

[ Spoiler Warning ] Lana and Will kiss.

Violent Content

Lana hits a pickleball into Will’s crotch, causing him to collapse. Lana also accidentally crushes Will’s toe under a chair leg.

Crude or Profane Language

“A–,” “d–n,” “h—,” “p-ss” and “crap” are all used a handful of times. God’s name is used in vain 13 times. We hear the crude phrase, “Tore her a new one.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Adults drink beer as they party on the beach. Janice gets drunk, and she later suffers a hangover. We hear reference to other alcohol, too, as well as underage drinking.

Other Negative Elements

Though she eventually pushes back a bit, Emma allows her work to take precedence over the romantic and familial elements of her wedding.

Lana leads on another potential date during her trip. Will and Lana’s selfishness causes problems for the bride and groom. Lana projects her own insecurities onto Emma, causing her to briefly doubt RJ’s faithfulness.

As any well-meaning bride and groom will tell you, the last thing they want on their wedding day is unnecessary drama. But in Mother of the Bride , that’s all RJ and Emma (and we, the viewers) get.

The Netflix movie is your standard romantic comedy. It’s clear from the first minutes of the film where the plot will end. And while I’m not one to instantly discount cookie-cutter stories like this one (I’ll even admit that I can even be a sucker for them), Mother of the Bride ranks quite low on my enjoyment list even in that category, for a variety of reasons.

The characters are uninteresting and underdeveloped. The token gay couple appears to be there for little purpose beyond getting the film an LGBT checkmark. The kooky aunt exists purely to objectify men and get intoxicated. Even RJ, the groom himself, is a background character at his own wedding.

These people all take a backseat for Lana and Will, our two main characters who could solve the majority of their issues with a five-minute conversation. And (perhaps this is my main grievance), I’m not a big fan of romantic films where the big conflict is due to the love interests wasting two hours bumbling around because they aren’t willing to have that inevitable mature talk about their miscommunication.

In terms of other content issues, though it’s blurry, there’s a bit of rear nudity, too. Likewise, there will be plenty of sexual quips thrown by the end of the film.

At best, I’ll send a blender or a copy of Codenames from the registry. But Mother of the Bride is one wedding invitation I’ll have to decline.

Kennedy Unthank

Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”

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Mother of the Bride review – Brooke Shields leads middling Netflix mush

More background fluff from the streamer, this time from Mean Girls director Mark Waters with a splashy Thailand location

D espite experience mostly insisting caution, certain markers still allow one to naively daydream that a new Netflix comedy might be worth more than a background half-watch while ironing. A big name, an experienced writer, a genuine studio-trained director, some substantive source material, anything to allow us to glide on the brief hope that we’re not in hammy, Hallmark-adjacent territory.

This thinking sometimes works – 2019’s Let It Snow was based on a solid YA novel, 2021’s Moxie had Amy Poehler in front of and behind the camera, this year’s Players benefited from the considerable charm of star Gina Rodriguez – but it too often makes precious little difference. For Mother’s Day in the US, the streamer has Mother of the Bride, a breezy comedy that arrives from director Mark Waters, whose indie days included The House of Yes and whose studio days included Mean Girls, Freaky Friday and Bad Santa 2, enough to give one a brief moment of optimism. But after the tudum has been and gone, it’s clear that we’re being spoon-fed more of the same unremarkable competence, sugar with no salt, calories with no nutrition.

The clue was less in who was behind the camera and more in who was behind the laptop, the script written by Robin Bernheim, a Hallmark and Lifetime alum whose Netflix work includes The Princess Switch movies. The writing is as pat and perfunctory as one would expect from such a résumé, rooted in sitcom cliche (hands on hips when angry – check), never able to sneak its way out of the easily expected.

The mother of the title is of the doting, borderline obsessive kind, fixated on her daughter’s future and terrified of what might happen if it doesn’t fall in line with what she’s planned out in her head. Mother Lana is played by Brooke Shields, extending her relationship with the streamer after leading a ho-hum Christmas movie back in 2021, and daughter Emma is the iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove.

When Emma announces her surprise engagement, Lana is horrified, but the full horror arrives when she heads to Phuket for the wedding and meets the father of the groom, her college ex Will (a mostly shirtless Benjamin Bratt), a guy who left her out of the blue never to return. Despite being an extremely accomplished career woman who manages an entire laboratory (this might be the first ever romcom to use the phrase “tumorigenic mechanisms”), she of course turns into a stuttering buffoon in front of both her ex and a handsome doctor, played by a mostly shirtless Chad Michael Murray, also at the resort (she really does say the perennial line “I’ve got underwear older than him”).

It’s partly an older-than-usual love triangle comedy, partly a mother-daughter story about an overly attached empty nester and partly a study of men keeping their abs into their 50s (Wilson Cruz as Bratt’s brother is also with a six-pack and without a shirt), a combination that should tick enough boxes for some. Shields and Bratt are at least pros relative to the material, which allows them to makes the most of Bernheim’s relentlessly trite dialogue, their potentially more poignant what-if dynamic often vaguely threatening to move us.

Cosgrove is a little trapped in her overemphatic Nickelodeon mode (a scene of her using a laptop will surely make meme-lovers happy), but she’s also lumped with the script’s eye-rolling attempt to stay relevant, playing an influencer whose sponcon wedding is being used as a way to boost followers. Lessons about family and forgiveness are ultimately far less persuasive than the scenery, the boost of an on-location shoot that might not quite rival 2022’s extremely adjacent Clooney/Roberts confection Ticket to Paradise (one set piece is litigiously similar), but it adds a gloss that’s otherwise missing from the point-and-shoot workmanship of it all.

It’s a slight cut above just how very bad these things can get , but not enough to edge it toward something that would deserve your full attention. So errand away, Mother of the Bride will be just fine playing in the background.

Mother of the Bride is out now on Netflix

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‘Mother of the Bride’ Review: An Old Flame in a Tropical Locale

Brooke Shields plays a single mother who comes face to face with her college ex-boyfriend at her daughter’s destination wedding in this tired romantic comedy.

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By Natalia Winkelman

How often do exes get back together at destination weddings? Based on Hollywood rom-coms, one might assume it’s an epidemic. The last few years alone have seen rancorous pairs reconcile on the tropical beaches of Bali ( “Ticket to Paradise” ), the tropical coastline of Sydney, Australia (“Anyone But You”) and in the tropical jungles of the Philippines (“Shotgun Wedding”). What a surprise to see the trend reappear in Netflix’s “Mother of the Bride,” set in Phuket, Thailand, at a tropical resort.

These movies, as critics have pointed out , are themselves rehashing an older Hollywood trope: the comedy of remarriage, in which a separated couple reunites to find their acrimony transformed into revitalized affection. (A classic example is Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in the 1940 rom-com “The Philadelphia Story.”)

In “Mother of the Bride,” that twosome consists of Lana (a committed Brooke Shields) and Will (Benjamin Bratt), ex-beaus who severed ties after college. In Phuket, they discover that their grown children — Lana’s daughter, Emma (Miranda Cosgrove), and Will’s son, RJ (Sean Teale) — are betrothed.

“Mother of the Bride” is directed by Mark Waters (“Mean Girls”) with an apparent allergy to verisimilitude. Early on, we are told that the opulent Thai ceremony will be bankrolled by Emma’s company (she’s an intern) and livestreamed to “millions of eyes.” These fantasies of pomp and circumstance often serve to make Lana and Will’s budding romance feel like a B-story to the action — although that may be a blessing when the best screwball gag this movie can muster is a pickleball shot to the groin.

Mother of the Bride Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 28 minutes. Watch on Netflix .

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Mother of the bride, common sense media reviewers.

Romcom about finding unexpected love; drinking, language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Weddings should be about family and love. People d

Parents will do anything to support their children

The film is set mostly at a resort in Phuket, Thai

People fall down and a man is hit in the groin wit

Kissing and flirting. Naked bodies are seen from b

"Damn," "dammit," "ass," "jackass," "hell," "crap,

Phuket is on lovely display. Discovery Resorts, In

Adults drink alcohol, sometimes to the point of ne

Parents need to know that Mother of the Bride is a romantic comedy starring Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, and Miranda Cosgrove that's set in Phuket, Thailand and contains some swearing, drinking, and suggestive scenes. Adults kiss, flirt, and comment on appearances, including objectifying a man as a "young…

Positive Messages

Weddings should be about family and love. People deserve second chances. Things aren't always what they appear. You don't have to be young to have fun.

Positive Role Models

Parents will do anything to support their children. Lana is a world-renowned geneticist. Emma faces her reservations about her wedding.

Diverse Representations

The film is set mostly at a resort in Phuket, Thailand. Southeast Asian actors are secondary characters. The father of the groom and family are Latino, which inspires a couple of Spanish expressions and a joke that the bride and mother of the bride have a "type." The uncle of the groom is a gay man in a happily committed, long-term relationship.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

People fall down and a man is hit in the groin with a pickleball. A young woman's father died in a car accident when she was 8.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing and flirting. Naked bodies are seen from behind (and a naked man covering his privates from the front). Adults go skinny dipping. There's reference to cheating, a man's "pickle," and some objectifying of a man as a "young stud."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Damn," "dammit," "ass," "jackass," "hell," "crap," "Satan," "stupid," "jerk," "idiot," "pee."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Phuket is on lovely display. Discovery Resorts, Instagram, Mac. Two families appear to have unlimited funds.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink alcohol, sometimes to the point of nearly passing out and having a hangover. They tell a college story involving buying a keg with a fake ID.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Mother of the Bride is a romantic comedy starring Brooke Shields , Benjamin Bratt , and Miranda Cosgrove that's set in Phuket, Thailand and contains some swearing, drinking, and suggestive scenes. Adults kiss, flirt, and comment on appearances, including objectifying a man as a "young stud," and referring to a man's "pickle." Naked bodies are seen from behind when a group of old college friends go skinny dipping. In another scene, a man emerges naked from a shower and covers his privates with a hat. Adults drink alcohol to the point of having a hangover. Language includes "damn," "dammit," "ass," "jackass," "hell," "crap," and some mild insults. The father of the groom and family are Latino, which inspires a couple of Spanish expressions and a joke that the bride and mother of the bride have a "type." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

Brooke Shields becomes the MOTHER OF THE BRIDE when she finds out her daughter Emma ( Miranda Cosgrove , of iCarly fame) is getting married in Thailand in a month. A world-renowned geneticist in San Francisco, Lana (Shields) drops everything to fly to be with her daughter and meet the fiancé, RJ ( Sean Teale ). Adding more surprises to the scenario, RJ's dad turns out to be Lana's college love, Will ( Benjamin Bratt ), the one who got away. At the Thai resort, sparks will fly between the former lovers, but these will be complicated by misunderstandings, a new love interest in fellow California doctor Lucas ( Chad Michael Murray ), and their new in-law relationship.

Is It Any Good?

The streaming platforms have assembled a small cottage industry of films about middle-aged women finding second chances at love, and Brooke Shields could easily become a star of the genre. She brings with her to films like Mother of the Bride an audience of women her age who grew up admiring her. Trouble is, if the films seem like toss-aways -- as A Castle for Christmas unfortunately did -- she could risk losing those followers. Mother is a notch above that one, though it does feel like a knock-off of the Julia Roberts and George Clooney -led Ticket to Paradise in both story (former couple reunited at a child's wedding) and Southeast Asian setting.

As in that film, Mother sees its middle-aged characters reminiscing and reliving some of the excitement of their youth. These are likable scenes set to period tunes like the Go-Go's. A pickleball scene (one of the first on film??) is also very funny. But other meant-to-be-funny scenarios fall flat, and comedian Rachael Harris goes sorely underused. The film also sets up a hard-to-believe premise of a young woman allowing corporate sponsors to make her wedding Instagrammable. Shields is stronger here in the dramatic moments than the comedy. Considering her past career, that may be more a problem with the writing than the acting. If you've watched Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields , you know the model-actress-mom has earned her maturity. Here's hoping for future films that give her more opportunities to show that side of her.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Emma giving her wedding over to her corporate sponsors in Mother of the Bride . Does this feel realistic? Does it make you question some of what you see on influencers' Instagram accounts?

The parents of the engaged couple seem to be reliving their youth. What other films have you seen where middle-aged adults reminisce about or relive their younger days?

The film is set mostly in a tourist resort in Phuket, Thailand. What do you know about this area? Where could you find more information?

Romcoms tend to be predictable. Does that matter, or is that just part of the experience?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : May 9, 2024
• Cast : Brooke Shields , Benjamin Bratt , Miranda Cosgrove
• Director : Mark Waters
• Inclusion Information : Indigenous actors, Latino actors, Female actors, Female writers
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Romance
• Topics : Brothers and Sisters , Friendship
• Run time : 90 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : May 5, 2024

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'Mother of the Bride' is the new No. 1 movie on Netflix — and critics and viewers have very strong opinions

'Mother of the Bride' is causing quite the commotion

When a movie manages to snatch the No.1 spot on Netflix, it doesn’t always mean that it’s good. The last few days have proved that, with poorly rated movies like “The Great Wall” and “Unfrosted” standing atop the list for some time. However, these movies were soon pushed off when “Mother of the Bride” was released on Netflix yesterday. 

Although this romantic comedy has taken the crown, it doesn’t mean it’s worth watching. New releases tend to gather a lot of views before they sink into the darkest depths of the streaming platform. If you’ve seen this title while scrolling but don’t know whether to give it your time, we can enlighten you.

What is 'Mother of the Bride' about?

“Mother of the Bride” follows Lana (Brooke Shields) as she discovers the groom's father is the man who once broke her heart. With that shocking revelation in mind, Lana must push her feelings aside to make her daughter Emma’s (Miranda Cosgrove) wedding special. However, once buried feelings rise to the surface again, they won’t go back down. Lana and Will (Benjamin Bratt) must decide whether they want to ignore their emotions for the sake of the wedding or find their way back to each other. 

It’s a classic example of a romantic comedy that uses every trope possible in the genre. From second chances to forced proximity to being stuck together on vacation, this movie goes through the traditional romance checklist pretty well. 

“Mother of the Bride”  was believed to be the rom-com of the year due to the lighthearted romance and cheesy music implemented throughout the trailer. But after not even one day, it doesn’t seem to be scoring well with audiences and critics despite how warming it might sound.  

What critics are saying about 'Mother of the Bride'

Believe it or not, “Mother of the Bride” debuted with a perfect score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes . Now with more reviews flooding the site upon its release, the rom-com sits at around 19%, with an audience rating of 25%. As you can imagine, these reviews aren’t exactly positive. 

Lindsey Bahr from the Associated Press said: “I won’t go so far as to say that Mother of the Bride feels like an AI creation but it does feel at least a little stitched together from pieces of other romantic comedies of varying quality.” 

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The Guardian’s Benjamin Lee stated: “It’s clear that we’re being spoon-fed more of the same unremarkable competence, sugar with no salt, calories with no nutrition.” Meanwhile, Paste Magazine’s Amy Amatangelo offered quite a unique opinion, saying: “You know when you check into a hotel and the default TV channel is the hotel promotion channel? The new Netflix movie Mother of the Bride is kind of like that.” Honestly, I agree.

However, there are some softer reviews, including Carla Meyer’s from the San Francisco Chronicle : “The whole cast is likable and the scenery lovely, making this only the second-worst Shields beach movie, after “The Blue Lagoon.” 

Our take on 'Mother of the Bride'

Should you stream this romantic comedy? Honestly, it’s probably not worth your time when there are other movies on Netflix of higher quality. That’s not to say you should never stream it if you’re in the mood for some lighthearted fun while folding laundry, but you can find better choices when scrolling through one of the best streaming services .

Tom’s Guide can agree that “Mother of the Bride” doesn’t offer anything new in the genre, and the reviews pretty much nail it when it comes to describing the dull narrative and lack of engagement. However, everyone has their own opinion, and you could even end up liking it. Regardless, it’s there to stream on Netflix whenever you fancy it. 

What we can say though is that there are plenty of other movies to choose from first, and one of my favorite romantic comedies is now on Netflix with a high score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. There is also “Anyone but You” starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, along with Jennifer Lawrence’s “No Hard Feelings”. 

If you want something a little different, one of our favorite feel-good movies has also crashed the top 10 on Netflix , and that’s definitely worth watching.

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Alix is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer for Screen Rant and Bough Digital, both of which sparked her interest in the entertainment industry. When she’s not writing about the latest movies and TV shows, she’s either playing horror video games on her PC or working on her first novel.

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Mother of the bride review: brooke shields is having a great time in easy, breezy netflix rom-com.

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Netflix's mother of the bride cast & character guide, mother of the bride soundtrack guide: every song & when they play.

• Mother of the Bride is a romantic comedy full of tropes, but it is also sweet and funny enough to work.
• A stellar cast, led by Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt, shines in this lighthearted summer flick.
• The film balances silliness and sincerity, offering an easy, breezy, enjoyable watch.

A young woman living abroad gets engaged and surprises her mother with the news that she is getting married in a month — a destination wedding in Phuket, Thailand. Unbeknownst to both, the bride's mother runs into her ex, and shenanigans ensue. Off the cuff, you would think this is the premise of Julia Roberts and George Clooney's Ticket to Paradise . But no, the always amusing, same movie/different font curse strikes again with Netflix's latest romantic comedy, Mother of The Bride , starring Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt.

Lana’s daughter Emma returns from abroad and drops a bombshell: she's getting married. In Thailand. In a month! Things only get worse when Lana learns that the man who captured Emma's heart is the son of the man who broke hers years ago.

• Brooke Shields & Benjamin Bratt shine in their roles
• The story can be fun and even sincere
• Chad Michael Murray is miscast
• There are too-silly moments and a concept the film barely explores

After starring in Netflix's A Castle For Christmas (a better movie than this one), opposite the always dashing Cary Elwes, Shields is back in the seasonally appropriate Mother of the Bride . Do you want to get into the beachy vibe, take a vacation to a beautiful exotic location and stare at some impressively good-looking people? Netflix has the thing for you. Want a lightweight story about a mother-daughter relationship sprinkled with the trope of the good old-fashioned college romance that never flamed out? Then Mother of the Bride is just what you need.

Mother Of The Bride Is All Fluff

But it's still a fun time.

Mother of the Bride is riddled with tropes and archetypes, but somehow screenwriter Robin Berheim — who's behind such hits as When Calls The Heart , all three The Princess Switch movies , and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding — and director Mark Waters, who gave us Hall of Famers , Freaky Friday , Mean Girls and He's All That , manage to make something that is just sweet and funny enough that what usually wouldn't work does.

The key is in the film's pacing; there is just enough of the wedding subplot to anchor the mother-daughter arc. iCarly 's Miranda Cosgrove takes on that task with considerable ease, the unexpected reunion between the mother of the bride and the father of the groom is well managed (yes, their kids are the ones getting married and yes, you know how this ends already), and the filler featuring their friend group and a potential young fling for Shields' character are sprinkled throughout in just the right portions.

While the film isn't something I will eagerly watch repeatedly, it's a good time, bringing the right balance of silly and fun.

Mother of the Bride's success rests on the filmmakers' abilities to not oversell anything and trust that the collective charisma of the assembled cast will do what it needs to do — and it does, though a flimsy script and one major miscast can be distracting.

A Fantastic Cast Shines In A Quietly Amusing Summer Flick

Mother of the bride's strength lies in its actors.

Mother of the Bride's cast is quite impressive, though I highly doubt the likes of Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, Chad Michael Murray, Rachael Harris, Wilson Cruz, and Michael McDonald would give up a chance to have a vacation and do some light acting work in Thailand. Cosgrove and Sean Teale play nothing-burger characters; they are just there to be the catalyst for the central romance but do enough to not feel like a nuisance when they are the focus of a scene.

Cruz and McDonald are the kind of actors you are just happy to see, although McDonald acts as though he walked through the set of Halloween Kills and into Mother of the Bride without breaking character, he is still fun to watch. Cruz is always a joy, and he shines as someone who is meant to exude good vibes only. Harris, as Shields' onscreen best friend, is comically and constantly nursing a drink in her hand, and she offers that I-am-the-mischievous-friend energy here that just feels right for a story about unexpected reunions.

Shields and Bratt are the dynamic duo I never knew I needed. Their chemistry is off the charts, but their most important contributions are their heartfelt performances.

The one glaring outlier in this ensemble is Murray. Although he was considered a heartthrob for some time, his presence in Mother of the Bride feels off. Also, the gag of Shields playing a woman who attracts a man half her age does not work when there is a mere 16-year age gap (58 and 42 is respectable). Additionally, Murray's purpose in the story is not needed, especially when it takes away from the moments involving the former college friends reuniting, which are actually the film's highlight.

Speaking of highlights, Shields and Bratt are the dynamic duo I never knew I needed. Their chemistry is off the charts, but their most important contributions are their heartfelt performances. There are much fewer shenanigans at play than in the aforementioned Ticket to Paradise , but there is a genuine sincerity in exploring former college lovers reconnecting as they near their golden years.

Their dynamic is sweet, humorous, and authentic. Honestly, I could see many people enjoying a light sitcom with Mother of the Bride's cast, specifically Shields, Bratt, Harris, Cruz and McDonald. They make a formidable group of friends at a later stage in their lives who still engage with their youthful spirit.

Mother of the Bride

Mother of the bride strikes the right balance.

Mother of the Bride's story is silly, and it's made sillier by the fact that the couple to be wed inadvertently reunites their respective widowed parents with "the one that got away." The in-law/step-sibling situation here is hardly acknowledged, and while not an outright taboo, I couldn't help but laugh at it. While the film isn't something I will eagerly watch repeatedly, it's a good time, bringing the right balance of silly and fun. The idyllic location is beautifully shot, the story is light and breezy, the performances are equally so, with actors who are a joy to watch.

Mother of the Bride is now available to stream on Netflix.

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The “movie star,” that mysterious creature whose blinding charisma pulls everyone into its irresistible orbit, is becoming an endangered species. That makes Jennifer Lopez —a movie star par excellence —the onscreen equivalent of a majestic snow leopard. Lopez can easily carry a film on her own, and her latest project, “The Mother,” is lucky to have her. 

That’s not to say that the latest film from director Niki Caro (“Mulan”) and a screenwriting team led by “Underground” creator Misha Green would totally sink without its star. Like most Netflix movies, “The Mother” would be a perfectly serviceable thing to have on in the background while you tidied the living room or answered emails on your phone. The spy-movie setup is generic enough to follow while doing something else, and the villains’ motivations are only as specific as the plot needs them to be, which is to say, not very specific at all. 

“The Mother” was screened for critics in theaters, where the immersive setup makes the paint-by-numbers portions of the plot really stick out. A handful of odd stylistic choices also attract attention in this format: A recurring visual motif of wide-angle shots with blurred edges; odd, jumpy edits seem to compensate for a lack of coverage on set. 

But the big screen also provides a bigger canvas for the film’s picturesque locations, like wild Tlingit Bay, Alaska, the sweltering streets of Havana—and, uh, Cincinnati, Ohio. (Every spy needs a place to hide out.) More importantly, it’s also more real estate for Lopez’s face.

For the most part, that billion-dollar mug is set into an expression of grim determination in “The Mother,” which opens with an unnamed FBI informant (Lopez) and her handler Cruise ( Omari Hardwick ) barely escaping from a bloody attack on an FBI safe house in suburban Indiana. The informant soon becomes The Mother, as the pregnant ex-spy gives birth to a baby girl while in the hospital recovering from her wounds. She has two options: Either escape with the infant and stay on the run forever or sign over her parental rights so her daughter can have a normal life. She chooses the latter.

She never signs away her emotional commitment, however. And she continues to watch expectantly from the sidelines, waiting for the day when her past will also shape young Zoe’s ( Lucy Paez ) life. And indeed, just after Zoe’s 12th birthday, The Mother’s friend and confidant, Jons ( Paul Raci ), comes by her isolated Alaskan lakeside cabin with a message: Zoe is in danger. It’s go time. 

As with her celebrated turn as a pole dancer in “ Hustlers ,” much of the excitement in “The Mother” is watching Lopez in motion. She swings a knife in hand-to-hand combat. She jumps across the roofs of cars in an urban foot chase. Even the subtle movement of loading and cocking a sniper rifle while lying belly-down on a rooftop is thrilling when she does it. Lopez translates her background as a dancer into gritty action choreography with the ease of a seasoned professional. 

The film shifts gears about halfway in, as Zoe and her mother retreat to Mom’s cabin for a hybrid bonding session and wilderness survival course leading up to the fiery action finale. “The Mother” is arguably too long at 115 minutes, but it’s difficult to say which scenes, in particular, could have been cut; in its quieter moments, both Lopez and her young co-star Paez give convincing performances as the gruff mentor and pouty student.

If anything, the film could have used more of these moments, which feel real and tangible compared to the cardboard cut-out bad guys played by Joseph Fiennes and Gael Garcia Bernal. Either of these men, we’re told, could be Zoe’s father, and it’s their obsession with The Mother that drives the rest of the narrative. Get in line, fellas. 

On Netflix now.

Katie Rife is a freelance writer and critic based in Chicago with a speciality in genre cinema. She worked as the News Editor of  The A.V. Club  from 2014-2019, and as Senior Editor of that site from 2019-2022. She currently writes about film for outlets like  Vulture, Rolling Stone, Indiewire, Polygon , and  RogerEbert.com.

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Film credits.

The Mother (2023)

Rated R for violence, some language and brief drug use.

115 minutes

Jennifer Lopez as Mother

Joseph Fiennes as Adrian

Omari Hardwick as Cruise

Gael García Bernal as Hector

Paul Raci as Jons

Lucy Paez as Zoe

Writer (story)

• Misha Green
• Andrea Berloff
• Peter Craig

Cinematographer

• Ben Seresin
• David Coulson
• Germaine Franco

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Movie Review: Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt deserve more than Netflix’s ‘Mother of the Bride’

This image released by Netflix shows Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt in a scene from “Mother of the Bride.” (Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Chad Michael Murray and Brooke Shields in a scene from “Mother of the Bride.” (Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Miranda Cosgrove, left, and Brooke Shields in a scene from “Mother of the Bride.” (Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Brooke Shields and Rachael Harris in a scene from “Mother of the Bride.” (Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Benjamin Bratt in a scene from “Mother of the Bride.” (Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Sean Teale and Miranda Cosgrove in a scene from “Mother of the Bride.” (Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix via AP)

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Romantic comedies are in a destination wedding rut. Perhaps it’s a collective post-COVID wanderlust kicking in, or, more cynically, some combination of tax credits and a place producers want to spend time. But between “ Ticket to Paradise ,” “Anyone But You,” “ Shotgun Wedding ” and now Netflix’s “ Mother of the Bride ,” the conceit is starting to curdle.

The problem is bigger than the setting, of course. There’s only so much heavy lifting a picturesque location, photogenic bodies and enviable resort outfits can do to make up for a lame story. Also, the appeal of an out-of-reach travelogue is limited in this age of influencers living wildly extravagant lifestyles around the clock on Instagram and TikTok (not to mention the sharp ways “White Lotus” has skewered and luxuriated in those worlds).

“Mother of the Bride,” now streaming on Netflix, wonders what might happen if you find out a few days before the wedding that your kid (Miranda Cosgrove) is marrying the offspring of the guy who broke your heart. That’s what happens to Brooke Shields’ Lana. She arrives in Phuket, Thailand, for her daughter’s wedding, meets the groom (Sean Teale), turns around and sees that his father is her college ex, Will (Benjamin Bratt). Barely a minute passes before they both fall into a pond.

Later, she’ll walk in on him emerging from the shower, hit him in a sensitive spot playing pickleball and, after they’ve made some progress, overhear the wrong conversation at the wrong time. This is a movie that is adhering to some kind of romantic comedy checklist, but whose ingredients add up to very little in the end.

Our tolerance for a silly set-up in a romantic comedy is usually pretty generous if we’re given a clever, charming script and authentic emotions. Just think of how ridiculous so many of the greats sound on paper, from “Sabrina” to “Sleepless in Seattle”? Is it fair to compare “Mother of the Bride” to Nora Ephron and Billy Wilder? Maybe not, but it never hurts to be aware of a North Star, which veterans like screenwriter Robin Bernheim Burger and director Mark Waters no doubt are. Just look at the title. This movie even has a romantic foil in a younger doctor (Chad Michael Murray) who is smitten with Lana, which can’t help but remind of Keanu Reeves in Nancy Meyers’ “Something’s Gotta Give.”

But this is so wildly contrived from the start that you never get to that moment where you’re enjoying it enough to stop asking questions, like did Lana never google Will in the 20 years they’ve been apart and find out that he’s a wildly rich and successful businessman? Or why would a major corporation offer an intern who has a barely maintained lifestyle Instagram that she started freshman year of college “six figures” to help promote their luxury hotels? Why are we supposed to root for these young people with seemingly infinite resources (one of their wedding presents in a multimillion Tribeca loft) who agree to get married in a month because a brand asks them to? Maybe more fundamentally, did the kids and a wedding have to be involved in this story at all? Does it make the idea of Will and Lana getting back together too weird to be fun? Couldn’t they have simply run into one another at a resort?

I won’t go so far as to say that “Mother of the Bride” feels like an AI creation but it does feel at least a little stitched together from pieces of other romantic comedies of varying quality. Why cast a capable comedian like Rachel Harris as the best friend only to have her say lines like “Is he on the menu”? Or give Wilson Cruz so little to do as Will’s brother?

And it’s a shame, too, because Shields and Bratt came ready to play, to fall in the pond and be minimally clothed for comedy’s sake. There must be a new generation of romantic comedy writers and directors who grew up on Ephron and Meyers out there and are ready to give us something that’s commercial and glossy but also smart and fun to revisit (ahem, remember “Set It Up”?). Maybe they just need to be given a shot.

“Mother of the Bride,” a Netflix release streaming Thursday, is rated TV-PG. Running time: 90 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

‘Mother of the Bride’ Review: Brooke Shields Says I Do to Netflix’s Aggressively Inoffensive Rom-Com

Miranda Cosgrove also stars in the respectable yet unremarkable streaming feature, in which a high-strung widow reunites with her ex-flame at her daughter’s destination wedding.

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After “Ticket to Paradise” and “Shotgun Wedding” showed us the different ways in which calamity ensues when planning weddings abroad, Netflix releases “ Mother of the Bride ,” which combines the essential elements of both those recent romantic comedies into one passable package. The far-off setting emphasizes the lavish and luxe, though the narrative is cheaply woven and fairly threadbare. While “Mean Girls” director Mark Waters ’ latest fails to add anything unique to the conversation, it does scrounge up a modest amount of heart when it comes to its saccharine sweet message of never giving up on happily ever after.

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Interpersonal relationships between the couples don’t hold a modicum of complexity, providing varying degrees of dampened, rushed resolutions. The audience rarely feels the pull of their emotions or the weight of their decisions. The inclusion of a gay couple is welcomed, though the filmmakers don’t do much with that couple, utilizing Clay and Scott primarily to aid Lana’s arc rather than giving them any internality.

Waters falters in exhibiting the nimble visual dexterity of previous projects. There’s no feeling connoted through aesthetic stylization, as when Regina George’s betrayal dawns on Cady in “Mean Girls” or the curse transference between mother and daughter in “Freaky Friday.” There are few grand movie moments to match the heart-swells in “Just Like Heaven” or the red dress reveal in “He’s All That.” The closest we ever get to something of tangible value are a sunset slow dance between the former lovers and copious drone shots of the sprawling resort property in travelogue-style transitional sequences. Perhaps the peppy, occasionally swoony soundtrack married to the perfectly lit imagery is supposed to inspire our connection to the material, but it doesn’t.

Even so, there are a handful of highlights within its algorithm-aided box-checking. Emma is empathetic to her mother’s extenuating circumstances, which is refreshing to see reflected in Robin Bernheim Burger’s writing and Cosgrove’s nuanced, thoughtful performance. Janice’s horny double-entendres (which Harris blessedly delivers with campy aplomb) are hilarious, especially since she’s never even shown kissing someone she’s hitting on, let alone getting her groove on with them. Shields and Bratt have a chemistry that sparks in their stolen looks and vulnerable intimacies, despite an overall lack of burning desire and heat conducted by their connection. It’s fun to see them stretching their muscles by incorporating genre-mandated physical comedy (via recurring clumsy pratfalls) as it helps to endear this cute couple to us.

Still, with its stale sentiments on social media’s toxic culture of likes and superficial depth exploring second chances at true love, the film’s more palatable qualities are needlessly subdued. In fact, it goes out of its way to not offend anyone with delicate sensibilities, whether it be over-explaining motivations or providing forgettable, reductive scenarios. And while a gentle, light-hearted romp is indeed welcomed in these taxing times, there’s much left to be desired from our journey with these likable but under-developed characters.

“Mother of the Bride” is now streaming on Netflix.

Reviewed on Netflix, May 5, 2024. Running time: 88 MIN.

• Production: A Netflix release of a Motion Picture Corporation of America production. Producer: Brad Krevoy. Executive producers: Brooke Shields, Oliver Ackermann, Galen Fletcher, Robin Bernheim Burger, Amanda Phillips, Jimmy Townsend, Vince Balzano.
• Crew: Director: Mark Waters. Screenplay: Robin Bernheim Burger. Camera: Ed Wu. Editor: Travis Sittard. Music: Caroline Ho.
• With: Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Rachael Harris, Sean Teale, Chad Michael Murray, Michael McDonald, Wilson Cruz.

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From 'The Iron Claw' to 'The Idea of You,' here are 10 movies you need to stream right now

Sure, you could surprise your mom with a trip to the movie theater to see some smart apes or Ryan Gosling . But if she'd rather spend Mother's Day hanging at home – and she loves movies, too – there are plenty of options to make the holiday entertaining.

Netflix, Amazon's Prime Video, Peacock, Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and others boast all sorts of streaming films for fans with various tastes, from comedy and horror to an Anne Hathaway double feature. There are recent theatrical releases like Zac Efron's buzzy pro wrestling drama , a restored 1970 Beatles movie available for the first time in decades, plus a slew of original flicks such as  Jerry Seinfeld's Pop-Tarts movie , a new film adaptation of a John Green book and a return to the film world for Brooke Shields, in a Netflix flick perfect for moms of all stripes.

Here are 10 notable new movies you can stream right now:

'The American Society of Magical Negroes'

Yarn sculptor Aren (Justice Smith) is recruited by wise mentor Roger (David Alan Grier) into a secret organization of Black agents whose mission is to keep white people comfortable, and Aren's first assignment turns messy when love gets in the way of the job. It's a satirical take on the "magical negro" trope that makes some points about race and culture before losing its way (and any sort of bite) when the film turns into a predictable rom-com.

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Where to watch: Peacock .

Like "Carol" painted with some noir-ish shades, the 1960s-set thriller casts Thomasin McKenzie as the title character, a mousy secretary at a Boston boys prison who lives at home with an abusive dad (Shea Whigham) drinking himself to death. Eileen gets a pick-me-up at work with the arrival of sophisticated psychologist Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), who pulls the fragile younger woman into unfortunate circumstances.

Where to watch: Hulu .

'The Idea of You'

There's a bit of a "Notting Hill" vibe to this rom-com starring Hathaway as 40-year-old divorced mom Solène, who reluctantly takes her teen daughter to Coachella and inadvertently meets – and sparks a spicy romance with – Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine), lead singer of a popular boy band. It's a lot more serious and emotionally wrought than you might expect, but Hathaway nails her character's layered nuance as Solène's relationship goes viral.

Where to watch: Prime Video .

Get ready, arachnophobiacs: This deeply unnerving French creature feature has the Stephen King seal of horror approval . Kaleb, a sneaker-dealing collector of exotic animals, brings home an eight-legged new pet. What he doesn't realize is he's just bought a venomous super-spider, which gets loose in his decrepit apartment building and spawns an army of quickly reproducing (and increasingly sizable) critters that do gnarly things to the neighbors.

Where to watch: Shudder .

'The Iron Claw'

A very ripped (and amazing) Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson play members of the Von Erich pro wrestling dynasty in this gripping 1980s-set biopic. Raised by their ex-wrestler father (Holt McCallany), the Von Erichs find success in the ring while navigating a series of tragic losses outside it in director Sean Durkin's touching story of Americana mixed with sibling rivalry, parental pressure and brutal despair.

Where to watch: Max .

'Let It Be'

For Beatles fans or music lovers in general who've just never seen it, Michael Lindsay-Hogg's restored 1970 documentary is a fascinating, candid look at the Fab Four recording the "Let It Be" album, bickering, goofing off and also creating timeless gems. Not as exhaustive or drama-filled as Peter Jackson's "Get Back" docuseries – which pulled from Lindsay-Hogg's wealth of footage – it's still a groovy watch of musical geniuses at work.

Where to watch: Disney+ .

'Mother of the Bride'

It's nice to see Brooke Shields still relevant, and as a lead in a rom-com no less. ("Suddenly Susan" hive, rise up!) But this cheeseball affair is only for Shields completists: The actress plays a famous geneticist whose daughter (Miranda Cosgrove) drops the bomb that she's suddenly getting married, and then the protective mom finds out at the destination wedding in Thailand that the father of the groom is her college ex (Benjamin Bratt).

Where to watch: Netflix .

'Prom Dates'

What could easily be just another R-rated "one crazy night" teen comedy gets a boost from its lively main characters. Jess (Antonia Gentry) and Hannah (Julia Lester) made a pact to have the perfect senior prom at 13, but on the eve of the big night, Jess dumps her cheating beau and Hannah comes out as a lesbian. When they have to scramble to find the perfect dates, assorted shenanigans and, of course, personal growth ensue.

Where to watch: Hulu , Disney+ .

'Turtles All the Way Down'

Adaptations of John Green's young adult novels (including "The Fault in Our Stars") have been a mixed bag, but this one's the best if just for its effectiveness in capturing mental health struggles. Aza (Isabela Merced) dreams of going to college, has ride-or-die pal Daisy (Cree) in her corner and reconnects with camp friend Davis (Felix Mallard), though her crippling OCD – and fear of germs and infection – is a constant threat to foil each one.

'Unfrosted'

Jerry Seinfeld's delightfully ridiculous directorial debut explores the origins of Pop-Tarts with an extremely silly not-so-true story and tons of gags and cameos. The comedian and Melissa McCarthy play Kellogg's employees tasked in 1963 with creating a toaster pastry before their competitors, a processed food spin on the space race that also involves a milk mafia, disgruntled breakfast cereal mascots and a heap of nostalgia.