Nate the Not So Great

If Hollywood thinks a man becoming a stay-at-home dad is still comedy gold in 2026, somebody should probably tell them that the joke expired around the same time shoulder pads and cassette tapes did. 

The new movie The Breadwinner is an updated take on a concept that was endearingly covered in 1983, back when Michael Keaton was vacuuming the curtains in Mr. Mom. The difference is that Mr. Mom was considered timely and culturally relevant during the recession of the early 1980s. Back then, the idea of a suburban dad struggling with housework and childcare was inherently hilarious and socially provocative. This new film mostly just feels stranded in the past.

Nate Bargatze stars as Nate, a successful car salesman, whose supermom wife, Katie (Mandy Moore), lands a huge career opportunity after pitching her product to Lori Grenier, Mr. Wonderful, et al, on Shark Tank. Suddenly, she has the potential to be the household breadwinner — but only if Nate can hold down the fort while Katie focuses on her business. Of course, he says it’ll be no problem. How hard could it be? So, she hits the road, and he stays home to take care of their three daughters and manage the house.

Naturally, household chores, cooking, sleepovers, and even the most basic of domestic tasks prove to be too much for Nate, who is completely unaware of seemingly everything his wife does every day. He doesn’t know how to buy groceries or hire a handyman. He doesn’t know where the girls’ school is. He doesn’t even know how to plug in the toaster! This is what the movie’s creators think is hilarious.

The problem, if it’s not obvious already, is that none of this feels remotely fresh or accurate. Watching a grown man in 2026 not know how to cook even basic foods and act baffled by laundry isn’t edgy or amusing — it just feels lazy. Been there, done that. Better, smarter movies and sitcoms have mined this territory for decades. And, more importantly, domestic duties are not exclusively the domain of women anymore. So, for Nate to be this clueless just feels unrealistic, at best.

Equally frustrating is how littered the film is with product and brand placement. It’s not just Shark Tank; Toyota, Walmart, the Tennessee Titans, and others all get a big showcase. I guess that’s how the film was financed.

Through it all, though, Bargatze remains naturally likable because, frankly, it’s hard not to like the guy. His relaxed delivery and everyman charm still work, for the most part, and there are moments where his dry reactions almost rescue scenes that are sinking fast. But the script — which Bargatze co-wrote — does his character no favors. Nate is less an actual person than a collection of tired stereotypes. You don’t root for him because the movie never gives you much reason to respect him.

And I felt bad for Colin Jost, who plays another stay-at-home dad who thinks Nate is infringing on his territory. Jost’s real-life wife, Scarlett Johansson, gets to fight supervillains and battle dinosaurs, while he gets stuck in this role? Sheesh. 

Kids may laugh at the slapstick chaos and exaggerated meltdowns, but adults will probably spend most of the film’s 95-minute runtime groaning. At a certain point, The Breadwinner becomes less a comedy and more a reminder that Mr. Mom already nailed this concept more than 40 years ago. 

Skip this movie and just watch Mr. Mom again.

I’m giving The Breadwinner a C.