The Robert De Niro Comedy You Skipped in 2023 Drops on Hulu Today

Alright, if you blinked and missed 'About My Father' back when it hit theaters in 2023, you’re definitely not alone. I’ll be honest, this one basically slipped through the cracks for a lot of people—and, predictably, critics weren't exactly throwing roses. But now it’s landed on Hulu, so you can decide for yourself if the world slept on a genuinely fun little family comedy or if the 37% critic score was a sign.

So, What’s The Deal With 'About My Father'?

This isn’t just any generic father-son flick. You’ve got Robert De Niro (yes, that Robert De Niro—Oscar winner, Godfather guy) somehow paired up with stand-up comic Sebastian Maniscalco. Maniscalco wrote the script himself, teaming up with Austen Earl, and it’s… well, pretty much his life story with some classic family-movie absurdity cranked up. Laura Terruso directed.

The basic gist: Sebastian (played by Maniscalco) is about to take the plunge with his fiancée Ellie (Leslie Bibb), but before everything gets official, Ellie ropes him into bringing his old-school Italian dad, Salvo (De Niro, obviously), to a weekend with her ultra-rich, borderline-ridiculous family. Cue awkward meals, culture gaps, and scenes where hairdressing advice meets caviar. In short, it’s a comedy about clashing families and the weird things that actually bring people together.

This Was the Cast (And Yep, It’s Stacked)

• Robert De Niro as Salvo (the dad who’s not here for your snobby brunches)
• Sebastian Maniscalco as, well, Sebastian
• Leslie Bibb as Ellie, the fiancée
• Kim Cattrall as Tigger (Ellie’s mom, brings her own kind of eccentric energy)
• David Rasche as Bill (the dad on Ellie’s side—think: money and awkward hugs)
• Anders Holm as Lucky
• Brett Dier as Doug

Critics vs. Regular Humans

Here’s where things get interesting: Critics mostly said 'pass.' Rotten Tomatoes puts it at a not-so-glorious 37%. But audiences? A whopping 81% on the Popcornmeter. Between that and a box office haul topping $18 million (which, let’s be real, isn’t Avengers money but says people showed up), it’s clear real viewers at least had a good time.

If You Like a Little Glimpse Behind the Curtain…

This is very much Maniscalco’s baby, with the whole thing being 'loosely based' (translation: inspired by real awkwardness, with lots of stuff exaggerated for laughs) on his own relationship with his dad. He co-wrote, starred, and basically poured his entire stand-up act into the script.

Production People & Other Details (Because You’ll Ask)

If you’re into the crew stuff: The movie was produced by Judi Marmel, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz, and Paul Weitz. Executive producers included Dan Balgoyen, Chris Fenton, Jared Ian Goldman, and Christopher Woodrow. The behind-the-scenes team: Rogier Stoffers on cinematography, Stephanie Economou did the score, Scott D. Hanson was on editing, production design was Javiera Varas, and wardrobe was handled by Brenda Abbandandolo.

Worth a Watch?

If you like comedies where family dysfunction takes center stage and De Niro just does his thing (with a lot of eye-rolling and muttered asides), there’s a real chance you’ll dig this one. Maybe it’s not Oscar bait, but it’s finally streaming on Hulu—and honestly, that’s the perfect home for a misunderstood family movie these days.