Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Risque comedy has laughs and language, drinking, sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Where to Watch
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The People We Hate at the Wedding
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING, Eloise (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) is about to get married in London. She's invited her mom, Donna (Allison Janney), as well as her half-siblings, Alice (Kristen Bell) and Paul (Ben Platt), who don't want to come because they're holding a grudge against the wealthier Eloise for not being as present in their lives as they'd like. But they begrudgingly accept the invitation. Paul brings his snooty boyfriend Dominic (Karan Soni), and Alice hopes to bring her married boss/lover, Jonathan (Jorma Taccone). But then she meets and hooks up with another guy, Dennis (Dustin Milligan), on the flight over. Donna also hooks up with her ex, Eloise's dad (Isaach de Bankole), and Dominic is angling for a threesome with his old friend Alcott (Julian Ovendon). And then things really start to go awry.
Is It Any Good?
This snappy comedy about a family who just can't seem to get along but who also love each other deeply has some very funny scenes as characters free fall into excess. But there are also moments in The People We Hate at the Wedding where you lose sympathy for the characters. Even if you understand the emotional pain driving their behavior, you might hate them well before the climactic wedding happens. But, perhaps predictably, the film turns things around and lets better angels prevail by the end.
Chalk the successful line-toeing in this film up to the talented ensemble cast, led by Bell, Janney, and Platt, whose characters are just barely in control of their lives. Wondering whether they'll spin out completely is part of the fun, and we watch with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation alongside their lovers -- Jonathan, Dennis, Henrique, Dominic, and Alcott (all well cast, especially Mulligan and Soni). Also in the background are some laughably quirky scenarios -- very literal OCD treatments, a failed threesome, and a wedding full of Brits warning, "the Americans are coming!" Through it all, Donna thinks her kids are perfect. And the film's theme of unconditional love, purposefully hard to comprehend or at times even abide by, comes through in her character.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the complicated relationships in The People We Hate at the Wedding. Why do you think family members sometimes have more difficult relationships than friends? Why is communication an important part of a healthy relationship?
How is drinking portrayed in this film? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
What do the characters learn about themselves and one another over the course of the movie? Who changes the most?
How is music used in this film to set the mood in different scenes?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 18, 2022
- Cast : Kristen Bell , Allison Janney , Ben Platt , Cynthia Addai-Robinson
- Director : Claire Scanlon
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Prime Video
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Communication
- Run time : 98 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual content and language
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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