The Out-Laws Parent Guide
There's a zany story here but it's well hidden under a load of negative content.
Parent Movie Review
Owen Browning and Parker McDermott (Adam Devine and Nina Dobrev) are just days away from their wedding when they receive the unexpected news that her parents, who have spent several years living in the Amazon, are going to attend. Owen is excited to finally meet Lilly and Billy McDermott (Ellen Barkin and Pierce Brosnan) but Parker feels some trepidation…
When the McDermotts arrive, Owen is overwhelmed by their adventurous outlook and effortlessly cool vibe. Determined to impress his beloved’s parents, Owen gets very drunk and inadvisedly shares security details about the bank he manages. When his bank is robbed the next day, the FBI suspects the Ghost Bandits, who have famously robbed 100 banks. Owen suspects the McDermotts. But how can he raise the issue with his fiancée without destroying their relationship? And what if he’s right?
There is the seed of a very funny screwball comedy in The Out-Laws. Unfortunately, it’s buried under clichés, crude sexual innuendo, and unnecessary profanity. In the hands of a better writer, this could have become a solidly entertaining PG-13 crime comedy; instead it’s just a crude and annoying waste of time.
The best part of the film is Pierce Brosnan, whose screen presence and charisma once again provide the lifeline for a second-rate movie. Sadly, Adam Devine can’t make his character a convincing counterweight to Billy McDermott. Owen’s nerd cred is established early in the film: he wears knee-high socks with shorts, he builds a 3-D model of the wedding seating chart, and he is obsessed with his job. Somehow, he doesn’t sell the character. As stereotyped and flat as all the bad guys are, at least they don’t take up as much screen time as Owen. He’s the heart of the movie and if you don’t care about him, it’s going to be hard to care about anything else.
The most frustrating part of this film is its negative content. The profanity is relentless as is the sexual innuendo, which becomes tedious very quickly. It’s a sign of lazy writing – instead of finding genuinely funny jokes, the writers have Owen’s ditzy mother reminisce about orgies she attended or have male characters discuss genitalia. It’s awkward and cringe-y instead of being laugh-out-loud funny. There’s also a fair bit of violence – as expected in a heist flick – but it hits at a PG-13 level, unlike the rest of the film which definitely deserves its Restricted rating.
The Out-Laws tries to wink at its audience, with a “we’re-bad-but-it’s-fun” attitude. That’s half right. The film’s bad. It isn’t fun. Don’t let its biggest heist be stealing 95 irreplaceable minutes of your life.
Directed by Tyler Spindel. Starring Adam Devine, Nina Dobrev, Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin. Running time: 95 minutes. Theatrical release July 7, 2023. Updated June 29, 2024Watch the trailer for The Out-Laws
The Out-Laws
Rating & Content Info
Why is The Out-Laws rated R? The Out-Laws is rated R by the MPAA for language throughout, violence, sexual material and brief drug use
Violence: A man is locked in a bank vault by his coworkers. A man mimes death by choking while masturbating. A person catches fire in a restaurant fire but suffers no serious injuries. A woman shoots a man in the head: blood spurts into the air. A woman flips a man with a martial arts move. There are several scenes of armed bank robberies: in one, a man vomits out of fear. A man is held at gunpoint. A worm crawls up a man’s nose. A man is chased by a pack of guard dogs. A woman issues a death threat against someone’s child. A main character is abducted and held hostage. There are several scenes where guns are fired and people presumably die or are seriously injured. There are scenes of hand-to-hand combat. A man gets thrown into a wall. There are scenes of reckless driving, car chases, and accidents that would cause injuries in real life. A man drives a van through a cemetery, destroying gravestones and disrupting a funeral. A man has a heart attack but is saved through CPR.
Sexual Content: A man wiggles his hips in a provocative fashion. An engaged couple repeatedly kiss. There’s a passing mention of a sex doll. There’s an extended discussion of a man’s genitals. An engaged man and woman embrace in bed: sex is implied. There’s some sexual innuendo. A man kisses another man on the mouth as a joke. A person mentions an orgy. There’s mention of a man’s testicle. A man watches a video of dog sex. A character talks about masturbation. A man sings about having sex.
Profanity: The movie contains over 150 crude terms and profanities. There are at least 58 sexual expletives, 37 scatological curses, and 32 terms of deity as well as scattered minor profanities and crude anatomical terms. Vulgar terms for male and female genitals are also used and someone employs a sexual hand gesture.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Adults drink alcohol in a social context. A man drinks alcohol for breakfast. Adults get drunk and one vomits while hungover. A character suggests recreational morphine use.
Page last updated June 29, 2024
Home Video
Related home video titles:
If it’s bank heist movies you enjoy, check out The Old Man & the Gun, Going in Style, Now You See Me, or The Vault.
Laugh-out-loud screwball comedies include What’s Up, Doc?,The Valet, The Lost City, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.