Instant Family

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2:27

Instant Family

PG-13

Released Nov 16, 2018

1h 59m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

155 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

When Pete and Ellie decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small child, but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl, they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight. Now, Pete and Ellie must try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hope of becoming a family.

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Critics Consensus

Instant Family may not quite capture the complexity of real-life adoption, but fittingly for the unconditional bond it honors, this flawed yet well-intentioned dramedy is ultimately worth the investment.

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Andrea Gronvall

Chicago Reader

It's embarrassing to watch Tig Notaro, Octavia Spencer, Julie Hagerty, and Joan Cusack struggle to find footing in this abyss.

Feb 22, 2020

Full Review

Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

Anders and his wife are parents to three adopted children, and there's a sense of verisimilitude and attention to detail regarding both the joys and the travails of foster care.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 17, 2019

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

I was surprisingly taken by it.

Feb 16, 2019

Full Review

Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

The right amount of heart is definitely in the screenplay, and the characters are fleshed out well enough that we find ourselves laughing at the funny moments and empathising with the dramatic moments.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 14, 2024

Full Review

Charlotte Harrison

Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies

A real surprise when it came out, a film as full of laughs as it is heart.

Sep 19, 2022

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

Instant Family is a heartfelt mainstream comedy without the gross-out gags, yet is still funny and surprisingly moving.

Rated: 3.5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

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Pedro Henrique C

Instant Family (2018) is a comedy film with some adult jokes that is very fun to watch. The film also highlights the importance of children who need a home and good parents. The story is simple but effective, and it has a great cast that has a lot of fun on screen. A great surprise from Paramount.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/15/25

Full Review

Thinking M

This is an extremely annoying film that tries too hard: it tries to cram too much dialog into short spaces. It tries to substitute valid acting with ridiculously embarrassing overacting. The direction is poor—since competent actors are starring, I lay the blame directly there. Plus the script is tremendously overblown. It’s downright stupid. If people talk that way, they never do it around me. What a waste of Mark Wahlberg’s talent. There are flashes of humor that work, but they’re overwhelmed by the “let’s throw everything at the wall and something will stick” hackneyed script and direction. We made it 30 minutes in before switching it off. That was at least 15 minutes too long.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/10/25

Full Review

Randy B

Cute as hell that includes laughs and cries.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/14/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é bacaninha, mas ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/01/25

Full Review

Vanessa H

A happy, heart warming and emotional film! Highly recommend

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/07/25

Full Review

Audience Member

What a surprisingly great movie! I looked it up because of the janitor beatdown scene that showed up in my FB newsfeed, but it was so much better and tear jerking than that. Great performances all around and really dealt with the complexities of fostering, reunification efforts, and adoption.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/04/25

Full Review

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Sean Anders

Director

Mark Wahlberg

Pete

Rose Byrne

Ellie

Octavia Spencer

Karen

Isabela Merced

Lizzy

Tig Notaro

Sharon

Instant Family: Official Clip - Nail Gun Emergency

2:12

Instant Family: Official Clip - Naked Selfies

2:13

Instant Family: Official Clip - She's Not Coming

2:09

Instant Family: Official Clip - Daddy for the First Time

1:16

Instant Family: Official Clip - You Were What Was Missing

2:03

Instant Family: Official Clip - Pervert Punishment

2:13

Instant Family: Official Clip - Cool Grandma

2:13

Instant Family: Official Clip - Christmas Dinner Hell

2:13

Instant Family: Official Clip - Smashing Therapy

2:11

Instant Family: Official Clip - Drug-Using Teenagers

2:02

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Instant Family: Trailer 1

2:27

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Synopsis

When Pete and Ellie decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small child, but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl, they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight. Now, Pete and Ellie must try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hope of becoming a family.

Director: Sean Anders
Producer: Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Sean Anders, John Morris, Marc D. Evans
Screenwriter: Sean Anders, John Morris
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Closest to the Hole
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Material|Language|Some Drug References|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 16, 2018, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 19, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $67.3M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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