‘Old Dads’ on Netflix is getting criticised – but anti-woke people love it

Old Dads, a new film on Netflix, has sharply divided viewers upon its release this week.

With a 17 per cent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has already received a wholly negative response from journalists, whereas viewers on social media are much more divided. The audience voted score on Rotten Tomatoes currently stands at 89 per cent.

Old Dads is about a trio of late-middle-age fathers Bill Burr, Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine, who “find themselves battling preschool principals, millennial CEOs and anything created after 1987,” according to the official synopsis. Burr co-wrote the film (with Ben Tishler) and it also marks the actor’s directorial debut.

On the positive side, one fan on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: “This old dads movie on Netflix 10/10,” while another added, “Just watched Old Dads on Netflix… best movie I’ve seen in 15 years.” A third fan wrote: “Old Dads is great. I miss movies like this.”

Others however, were far less impressed. One Twitter user described it as “completely terrible”, while another added: “Bad acting, and the jokes were just so so bad.”

Check out some of the responses below:

Just watched Old Dads on Netflix… best movie I’ve seen in at least 15 years.

— ItsHapa (@ItsHapa) October 23, 2023

Highly recommend everyone to watch “Old Dads” On Netflix. It’s a great movie, hilarious and has a great message in the end. Bill Burr ?

— Austin Martin (@Austinrnww) October 24, 2023

While the premise is well-worn I still found Bill Burr’s directorial debut OLD DADS to be hilarious. Nothing groundbreaking, but very funny. Bill is a great comedy director. pic.twitter.com/OAPMgevHFF

— ????????? (@Crypticus) October 20, 2023

“Old Dads” on Netflix. Just checking in and the AD was there. Gave me such bad vibes I just skipped and googled the reviews. Yeah, that’s what I thought. I was a bit taken aback anyone would make a movie like that. Wasn’t this an issue 10 years ago? Surely people have moved on.

— Susanne (@asparrowwriter) October 23, 2023

Old dads on Netflix is terrible just so y’all kno

— mizz grippy (@premiumbaddie) October 22, 2023

I watched “Old Dads” the other night and it is awful. I hoped it was parody, but I don’t think it was. Terrible, stupid movie. I couldn’t finish it because of the lecturing.

— Cindie (@Cindie911) October 23, 2023

This movie was made for people who think recycled anti-woke jokes are peak comedy & still fell completely flat. Just terrible. #OldDads pic.twitter.com/6TxTHSxT7h

— Nowbz. (@Nowbz) October 22, 2023

Anyone who hasn’t watched the movie “Old Dads” should do so. It’s hilarious & also so on point with the world today. 10/10

— #YEAROFTHADAWG (@SavageMulatto) October 24, 2023

#OldDads is great ?? i miss movies like this. That #comedy #Netflix That #NWA moment was the best

— Topher.Li (@Hi5thisAzn) October 23, 2023

A press release on Netflix added that the film is “a wholly original script by Burr and Tishler based on their experiences as older dads raising their children in a rapidly changing society.

Speaking about the film, Burr said: “The premise is about three friends who are in different stages of their life, and they have little kids. They’re older dads and they have a business that they’re running together. The three of them are sort of trapped in the ‘80s and early ‘90s in their heads. To them, that was the greatest time to be alive and the whole world has changed, and they haven’t.”

He added: “Upon completing a good first draft, I gave the script to my friends who are my age, and they all loved it — laughing, high fives all around. Then I gave it to a 28-year-old and he gave me the best note on the script and I hated it when I read it. He goes, ‘This is a great movie for 50-year-olds.’ And I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ It took me 48 hours to digest what he said. And I realised, ‘If we don’t have them giving it back as good as we’re giving it, then this is just going to be a one-sided rant.’

Old Dads is streaming now on Netflix.