Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
When a workaholic young executive is left at the altar, she ends up on her Caribbean honeymoon cruise with the last person she ever expected: her estranged and equally workaholic father. The two depart as strangers, but over the course of a few hilarious adventures, a couple of umbrella-clad cocktails and a whole lot of soul-searching, they return with a renewed appreciation for family and life.
Like Father is a pleasant but formulaic Netflix dramedy that leans heavily on familiar reconciliation-story tropes. The father-daughter reunion on a cruise ship is a serviceable premise but offers little surprise, hitting predictable beats of conflict, bonding, and resolution. Kelsey Grammer and Kristen Bell share genuine chemistry and elevate the material beyond its script, making the acting the film's strongest suit. The cinematography is competent and sun-drenched, capturing the Caribbean setting adequately without any distinctive visual ambition. Novelty is low — the estranged-parent reconnection arc is well-trodden, and the cruise setting doesn't add enough distinctiveness to set it apart. The ending resolves exactly as expected, offering emotional warmth but no real surprise or resonance.