IMDb 6.2 2016 HD

Why Him?

Why Him?

2016
Comedy
111 min R USA
6.38 / 10
6.2 IMDB

A dad forms a bitter rivalry with his daughter's young rich boyfriend.

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director John Hamburg / Steve Gehrke
Starring
Bryan Cranston / James Franco / Zoey Deutch / Megan Mullally / Griffin Gluck / Keegan-Michael Key / Kaley Cuoco / Cedric the Entertainer

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

hilarious crude awkward raucous cringe good-natured relatable over-the-top charming predictable loud funny

Reviews

S
Sophia Chen
Apr 18, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

Bryan Cranston delivers a wonderfully exasperated performance as Ned, a father facing his worst nightmare in the form of his daughter's new boyfriend, Laird, played with anarchic glee by James Franco. 'Why Him?' is a no-holds-barred R-rated comedy…

O
Oliver Finch
Apr 18, 2026
2.0 / 5
2.0

This festive season, 'Why Him?' offers a broad, often crass, comedy centred on familial disapproval. Bryan Cranston plays the stoic patriarch Ned, whose discomfort with his daughter's Silicon Valley boyfriend, Laird, is the film's primary source of conflict.…

C
Chloe Davies
Apr 18, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

'Why Him?' presents a familiar premise: a father's distrust of his daughter's new partner, amplified to comedic extremes. Bryan Cranston is exceptional as Ned, radiating palpable parental anxiety and delivering a masterclass in reacting to outrageousness. James Franco,…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Apr 18, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

Director Unknown helms 'Why Him?', a holiday offering that banks heavily on the star power of Bryan Cranston and James Franco. Cranston, as the increasingly mortified father Ned, provides a solid, relatable core to the film's escalating absurdity.…

E
Eleanor Vance
Apr 18, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

In 'Why Him?', Bryan Cranston anchors a chaotic festive comedy as Ned, a father whose Christmas visit turns sour when he meets his daughter's tech-bro boyfriend. James Franco delivers a predictably eccentric performance as the billionaire Laird, whose…

FAQs

James Franco brings a manic, almost alien energy to Laird, a tech billionaire whose wealth has afforded him a life devoid of conventional social graces. He's over-the-top and often clueless about boundaries. In contrast, Bryan Cranston grounds the film as Ned, a more traditional father figure whose reactions to Laird's excesses are relatable and fuelled by genuine parental concern. The dynamic between Franco's unhinged performance and Cranston's exasperated reactions is key to the film's humour.