Debapriya Bhattacharya
The Luke Greenfield directorial ‘Playdate’ centers around Brian Jennings (Kevin James), a recently unemployed accountant, and Jeff Eamon (Alan Ritchson), a stay-at-home dad, arranging for a fun afternoon for their sons. However, the peaceful playdate that they plan goes sideways when a group of ruthless mercenaries crashes the party. While Brian finds himself completely overwhelmed by the new development, Jeff remains oddly calm and leads them through the potentially life-threatening situation. The Amazon Prime Video original film is an action-packed comedy series showcasing a budding bromance between adult men and the extent to which fathers can go to protect their children. If the narrative has caught your interest, here is a list of films similar to ‘Playdate’ that you can consider for your next watch.
8. Game Night (2018)
Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, ‘Game Night’ stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as married couple Max and Annie Davis, who invite their friends over for a murder mystery party at their place. While the fun begins with fake thugs and federal agents, the atmosphere shifts when Max’s brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) gets kidnapped. Everyone initially believes it to be a part of the game and starts to hunt for clues, only for the realization to dawn upon them that something strange is afoot. The game is not the seemingly harmless fun time that they expected it to be, and the guests are in way over their heads. The sudden conversion of a game night into a probable life-or-death situation reflects the shift in ‘Playdate.’
7. Day Shift (2022)
Marking the directorial debut of J.J. Perry, ‘Day Shift’ tells the story of former paratrooper Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx), a family man from the San Fernando Valley who supposedly makes a living working as a pool cleaner. However, his real job is hunting vampires, a lucrative gig that helps him pay the bills. Since Bud is not one to follow many regulations, he is not in the good books of the International Union of Vampire Hunters, who assign him a union rep, Seth (Dave Franco). The chaotic days that he has just to provide for his family are reminiscent of the mayhem that the dads in ‘Playdate’ get into.
6. Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)
Helmed by Greg Mottola, ‘Keeping Up with the Joneses’ follows Jeff Gaffney (Zach Galifianakis), a human resources employee in an Atlanta-based defense contractor company, and his wife Karen (Isla Fisher). With their children off to summer camp, the Gaffneys are enjoying each other’s company in the cul-de-sac when their new neighbors, Tim (Jon Hamm) and Natalie (Gal Gadot), arrive. Tim claims to be a travel writer, and Natalie, a social media consultant. The charming and sophisticated couple easily wins the Gaffneys over and invites them to leisurely activities. However, the latter soon realizes that the newcomers are not who they claim to be, and something sinister is afoot. The idyllic holiday time turning into a thrilling adventure in ‘Keeping Up with the Joneses’ resonates with the shift in atmosphere in ‘Playdate.’
5. Nobody (2021)
‘Nobody,’ directed by Ilya Naishuller, stars Bob Odenkirk as mild-mannered family man Hutch Mansell, who refuses to defend his suburban home even when burglars break into his place one night. Ridiculed by his wife and children, he ultimately loses his calm and allows the darkness that he has been keeping in check for years to take control. Before retiring to a peaceful family life, Hutch used to be an elite assassin. With his family coming in the crosshairs of Russian mob boss Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksei Serebryakov), he is forced to brush off his old skillset and get to work being their savior. Similar to Jeff Eamon in ‘Playdate,’ Hutch transitions from a peaceful father to a trained fighter in ‘Nobody.’
4. Role Play (2024)
The Thomas Vincent directorial ‘Role Play’ revolves around Emma Brackett (Kaley Cuoco), who seemingly leads a blissful life with her husband of seven years, Dave (David Oyelowo), and their two kids. As their wedding anniversary comes up, the couple decides to spice things up by role-playing as strangers meeting at a bar. Emma is the first to arrive at the designated spot, where she runs across a mysterious older man who knows her from her shady past. Soon, Emma finds her life upended, and she depends on the skills she acquired as an assassin to keep her family safe. A parent with a secret life, doing everything they can to keep their family safe, unites the narratives of ‘Playdate’ and ‘Role Play.’
3. The Spy Dad (2003)
Originally titled ‘Chuet chung tit gam gong,’ the Wong Jing directorial ‘The Spy Dad’ centers around movie star Jones Bon (Tony Leung Ka-fai), who is known for playing heroic characters on screen but is considered a coward in real life. As a result, his wife, Isabel (Candice Yu), leaves him along with their two daughters. Meanwhile, an Interpol agent who arrives in Hong Kong to investigate a scientist gets infected with the Intelligence Degeneration Virus by accident and starts acting like a child. He arrives at Jones’ home, and soon the actor finds himself hunted by terrorists. The clueless father trying to protect his family even as he realizes that he is in way over his head resonates with Brian Jennings in ‘Playdate.’
2. The Family Plan (2023)
A Simon Cellan Jones directorial, ‘The Family Plan’ follows car salesman Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg), who is living a peaceful life in the suburbs with his loving wife Jessica (Michelle Monaghan) and their three children. Unknown to his family members, Dan used to be an elite government agent who took care of deadly threats across the globe. Soon, Dan’s past catches up with him, and he is forced to be on the run with his wife and children. He has to depend on his old skillset to keep the people whom he loves safe, and similar to the dads in ‘Playdate’ holds no bar when it comes to action.
1. Back in Action (2025)
Directed by Seth Gordon, ‘Back in Action’ chronicles the lives of former CIA operatives Matt (Jamie Foxx) and Emily (Cameron Diaz), who leave their jobs to marry and start a family. Fifteen years later, they are living a peaceful life with their two children, when their fake identities are compromised. Soon, nefarious characters from their past are on their tail, forcing Matt and Emily to come out of retirement in order to keep the children safe. The sudden shift in their life and their fierce determination to protect the family, is similar to what is seen in ‘Playdate.’
Read More: Movies Like Hedda
