5 Reasons Mark Wahlberg’s $242M Blockbuster Is the Ultimate Christmas Night Watch
Forget the critics — Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell’s Daddy’s Home is the holiday-season crowd-pleaser built for Christmas Eve. A box-office bruiser with big laughs, it still outperforms its reviews when the tree lights are on.
Looking for something easy to throw on Christmas Eve that the whole room can tolerate without starting a debate? Cue Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in 'Daddy's Home' — dumb in the right ways, warm where it counts, and chaotic enough to drown out any actual family chaos.
The setup
The 2015 buddy comedy pairs Will Ferrell as Brad Taggart, a well-meaning radio exec trying to be a great stepdad, with Mark Wahlberg as Dusty Mayron, the impossibly cool biological dad who swoops back in and instantly scrambles Brad's carefully planned home life. Linda Cardellini plays Sara, the mom stuck watching these two go full peacock to win over the kids. Directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders, Brian Burns, and John Morris, it was produced by Paramount Pictures, Red Granite Pictures, and Gary Sanchez Productions.
Critics were not charmed (30% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences were split (50% Audience Score; IMDb sits at 6.2/10), and the box office did not care: on a $50 million budget, it hauled in $242.7 million worldwide. Translation: very much a hit.
Wait, is it a Christmas movie?
Not really. That would be the sequel, 'Daddy's Home 2', which is the full tinsel-and-tree deal. The first film plays out over everyday family mayhem — basketball games, school events, escalating one-upmanship — but its themes (blended families, trying way too hard to make things perfect) fit right in with holiday energy. If you want festive-adjacent without actual sleigh bells, this works.
Five reasons it totally works on Christmas Eve
- Blended-family chaos you will recognize: The whole movie is Brad vs. Dusty trying to earn the kids' respect and affection. The stepdad learning curve, the bio-dad swagger, the awkward discipline attempts — painfully real, played for laughs, and very holiday-compatible.
- Ferrell vs. Wahlberg chemistry: Ferrell leans into gentle, dorky panic; Wahlberg weaponizes cool-guy confidence. You get slapstick for the kids, snarky banter for the adults, and a steady rhythm of gags that keeps everyone awake after the cookie coma.
- Perfect low-stress background watch: Big, silly set pieces and cleanly staged sight gags mean you can miss five minutes pouring cocoa and not lose the thread. It is built for living rooms with chatter.
- Under the noise, it has a heart: The 'Dad Off' escalates, but the movie is really about acceptance and finding a place in a family that is still figuring itself out. Sweet without being syrupy.
- Holiday-adjacent vibe without the schmaltz overload: If you want something that nods at family togetherness without wall-to-wall carols, this scratches the itch. If you do want full Christmas mode, queue the sequel after.
Quick hit details
Year: 2015. Genre: buddy/family comedy. Directed by Sean Anders; written by Anders, Brian Burns, and John Morris. Stars Will Ferrell (Brad), Mark Wahlberg (Dusty), and Linda Cardellini (Sara). Budget: $50 million. Worldwide box office: $242.7 million. Rotten Tomatoes: 30% critics, 50% audience. IMDb: 6.2/10.
Where to watch
It has been streaming on Netflix lately, but availability shifts by region and month, so give your app a quick search.
Bottom line: if you want a cozy, crowd-pleasing comedy with some surprisingly warm blended-family beats, 'Daddy's Home' gets the job done. Throw it on, relax, and save 'Daddy's Home 2' for when you want the actual Christmas chaos.