Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

The Present

Play trailer 2:02 Poster for The Present 2024 1h 26m Comedy Fantasy Drama Romance Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
69% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
When a young boy discovers he can use an enchanted grandfather clock to go back in time, he teams up with his siblings on a quest to bring their separated parents back together again.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

The Present

Critics Reviews

View All (13)
Kevin Maher The Times (UK) The Parent Trap meets Rashomon meets Groundhog Day in an overly ambitious, and frankly muddled, conceptual premise for this charmless family film. Rated: 2/5 May 29, 2024 Full Review Wendy Ide Observer (UK) Elevated by Jay Martel’s high-concept screenplay, which refuses to talk down to its audience, The Present is a peppy family adventure that delivers a formally adventurous structure and a recurring dog poo gag. Something for everyone then. Rated: 3/5 May 29, 2024 Full Review Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) The film’s forgettable fluff, but perfectly genial, and it’s hard to imagine many hardcore objections to curling up with it. Rated: 3/5 May 23, 2024 Full Review Dave Golder Radio Times The film loses a whole star, though, for an unbelievably distasteful gag about food allergies that, because of the nature of the film, just keeps coming back. Rated: 2/4 Aug 30, 2024 Full Review Kat Halstead Common Sense Media The Present has parallels to The Parent Trap, Groundhog Day, and numerous other family sci-fi, time-travel adventures, and it uses the concept well to gradually reveal more about the lives of both parents and each of the kids in turn. Jul 9, 2024 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …it’s got that genial, eighties feel; if you like Back to the Future, Home Alone, Groundhog Day, Freaky Friday, The Parent Trap or other feel-good fantasies, then The Present has exactly what you’re looking for… Rated: 3/5 Jun 21, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (7)
Audience Member The title is both literal and figurative How many times would you go back just to save your family from breaking apart? For three kids as many times as it takes Greg Kinnear and Isla Fisher play parents who unfortunately are getting a divorce Their children cannot stand the thought of them separating A delivery then comes to their house containing a giant grandfather clock The kids make the miraculous discovery that the clock can actually turn back time for 12 hours Together they use this opportunity to go back and change the outcome so their parents can stay together But is it actually possible to keep this whole unit together in spite of the fact that the parents can’t stand each other and other circumstances could pull them away? Is it easier to not care about the bad stuff happening?, there are magic moments in our lives we must recognize and look for It’s actually amazing how the youngest sibling first discovers the clocks power despite that he’s mute and can’t stand any form of physical contact The time loops are used rather effectively especially when you see each of the kids from their own perspective This can’t really be considered a kids movie despite some whimsical ness More exposition could’ve raised the stakes a bit though The ending just felt very unsatisfying too Yet for a time travel movie involving kids saving what’s left of what’s coming apart especially with Fisher and Kinnear playing struggling parents Forgettable but fluffy Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/14/25 Full Review Audience Member This movie is terrible..... I can't believe Steven Spielberg directed this.... I don't like the way it was filmed looks like a low budget movie..The acting sucks...and it's boring as hell.. I give it no stars .. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/21/25 Full Review Horror fan 4 What a sweet little time traveling movie we have here. A very well made movie for all to enjoy. Isla Fisher I absolutely adore. Tim Treakle Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/18/24 Full Review Becky D How on earth is this film a PG?!!!!! Shocking, crude not for 12 and under by any means. Disgusting. Netflix should be ashamed allowing it on kids profiles!!! F bombs, obvious sex references. Shameful. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 10/30/24 Full Review Kaylie H Absolutely laced with sexual references. Disgusting. So far theres been: A reference to an after sex cigarette. A reference to an erect penis A reference to 2 teenagers planning to have sex and a box of condoms. Do not watch this with children. Sickos. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 09/26/24 Full Review Pete W Bad idea #1: Never do a ripoff movie about one of the best films of my generation: Grounhog Day. Bad idea #2: Make sure the target audience is clear. Was this a story about getting a divorce aimed at parents? Or was it aimed at kids whose parents were divorced? Either way, it didn't work. Bad idea #3: Disney movies should be left to Disney. This was a horrible attempt at one. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/12/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Present

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
The American Society of Magical Negroes 25% 59% The American Society of Magical Negroes Watchlist TRAILER for The American Society of Magical Negroes Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire 42% 81% Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Watchlist TRAILER for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Ghostbusters: Afterlife 63% 94% Ghostbusters: Afterlife Watchlist TRAILER for Ghostbusters: Afterlife Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 75% 79% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Watchlist TRAILER for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Poor Things 93% 80% Poor Things Watchlist TRAILER for Poor Things Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis When a young boy discovers he can use an enchanted grandfather clock to go back in time, he teams up with his siblings on a quest to bring their separated parents back together again.
Director
Christian Ditter
Producer
Stuart Ford, Linda McDonough, Marcei A. Brown, Jessica Malanaphy
Screenwriter
Jay Martel
Distributor
Gravitas Ventures
Production Co
AGC Studios, Catchlight Studios
Genre
Comedy, Fantasy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 18, 2024
Runtime
1h 26m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
Most Popular at Home Now