Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent, swear-filled serial killer drama is brutally bad.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Like Father Like Son
What's the Story?
In LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, aspiring writer Eli (Dylan Flashner) worries that he'll follow in the footsteps of his father, Gabe (Dermot Mulroney), a convicted murderer serving time on Death Row. But when times get tough, Eli finds his own propensity for violence hard to quell.
Is It Any Good?
Imagine if Natural Born Killers was mixed with The Bad Seed and the result was treated as educational content. A written epilogue to Like Father Like Son states that the signs of someone becoming a serial killer can often be spotted in childhood behavior. OK, but if you can buy the idea that that information was so vital (and unknown) that a film needed to be made to make the world aware, then, more focus should be put on the child demonstrating these signs, as well as the other psychological components that can contribute to this outcome. But that's not the case in this latest waste of money from Barry's Bootcamp founder Barry Jay: This movie is all about 20-something Eli, who tries and fails to resist his murderous impulses to kill, with almost nothing shown from his childhood to suggest that he's headed toward a life of psychopathic behavior. In fact, as woodenly played by Flashner, Eli's rage looks like a calm sip of lavender tea.
The messages in this bleak, disturbing tale are terrible, the story is worse, and the dialogue is offensive. And the movie's biggest unintentional laugh may be how Eli starts a romance with Hayley (Ariel Winter). Seeing her at a bar, he offers her money for sex. She says "that's not what I'm looking for" and starts making out with him ... and then the movie cuts to them having sex. Ugh. Even worse, he lays hands on her after sex, but they still fall in love. (And Hayley is the "good" character!) Writer-director Jay is open about having grown up in an abusive environment and the fact that making self-funded horror films is his therapy. Wish him the best, but his catharsis doesn't need to become your own trauma. This disturbing drama isn't for anyone, especially kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Like Father Like Son. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
The advice given to aspiring writer Eli is to "write what you know," and writer-director Barry Jay says he uses his childhood trauma as material for screenplays. How can creative writing serve as a form of therapy?
How can entertainment educate or misinform people? What do you think is the responsibility of a content creator to offer accurate information in a work of fiction?
Why is the movie's message troubling or problematic? Are children really destined to repeat their parents' mistakes?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 31, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : January 31, 2025
- Cast : Dylan Flashner , Dermot Mulroney , Ariel Winter , Vivica A. Fox
- Director : Barry Jay
- Inclusion Information : Gay Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : bloody violence, language throughout, drug use and some sexual content
- Last updated : March 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate