“Dad movies” have become a genuine craze in the movie world. While the subgenre doesn’t have a universally agreed-upon definition, I often find myself watching a movie and concluding “that is a total dad movie.” So what better way to celebrate Father’s Day than to put together a dad movie marathon for the dad in your life?
I might not be a dad myself, but I do have one, and I think I’m pretty good at spotting films that fit within the category. So I’ve put together a collection of films that you can stream this weekend, perfect for the annual day dedicated to celebrating fatherhood in all its forms. There’s a bit of everything down below, from sports dramas and action-thrillers to even a sci-fi option.
These are my top picks for the best dad movies you need to watch this Father’s Day.
‘Ford v Ferrari’ (2019)
Heralded as perhaps the 21st century’s most quintessential dad movie, it’s got everything you could want in the subgenre: a '60s setting, a focus on racing cars, an underdog story, and two popular actors in the lead roles, Matt Damon and Christian Bale. It comes from “Logan” director James Mangold and really is the perfect watch on a Sunday afternoon.
Based on the true story of the Le Mans ‘66 race (fun fact: the movie was released under that title in Europe), “Ford v Ferrari” sees Carroll Shelby (Damon) tasked by Ford Motor Company with building a race car that can compete with the track-conquering Ferrari fleet. To achieve this ambitious goal, he teams up with driver Ken Miles (Bale) to build a vehicle that can propel Ford to pole position in the grueling Le Mans endurance race.
Watch "Ford v Ferrari" on Prime Video now
‘The Fugitive’ (1993)
Based on the 1960s TV series of the same name, this 1993 action-thriller is a favorite of dads everywhere. It’s a Harrison Ford vehicle that pulled in strong box office figures in theaters and went on to be nominated for seven Oscars (including Best Picture), with Tommy Lee Jones taking home the Best Supporting Actor award. If you want some excitement this Father’s Day, “The Fugitive” delivers timeless thrills and tension.
Richard Kimble (Ford) is a surgeon in Chicago, stunned when he’s arrested and accused of murdering his beloved wife, Helen (Sela Ward). Sentenced to death, he manages to escape custody while being transferred to prison. Rather than disappear, he’s determined to find the true killer and clear his name. In response, U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Lee Jones) leads a manhunt to locate Kimble. It’s a cat-vs-mouse game with high stakes.
Watch "The Fugitive" on Prime Video (buy/rent) now
‘Bull Durham’ (1988)
You can’t talk about dad movies without Kevin Costner being in the conversation. Heck, for many fathers, this entire list could be a roundup of the best Costner movies, and I reckon they’d be more than happy to watch them all. The competition here was fierce, but I’ve gone with 1988’s “Bull Durham” because of its setting in the world of baseball and because it offers a genuinely sweet romance between Costner and Susan Sarandon.
Costner plays Lawrence “Crash” Davis, a veteran catcher, hired by the Durham Bulls, a struggling minor league team, to mentor their hotshot rookie pitcher (Tim Robbins), said to have a “million dollar arm, and a five cent head.” Their coach-player relationship starts rocky and becomes even more complicated when they both get involved with the same woman, Annie (Sarandon), a “baseball groupie” who picks one player each season to be her lover.
Watch "Bull Durham" on Prime Video now
‘Rocky’ (1976)
“Rocky” is a movie that needs no introduction; it’s one of the finest sports films ever made. It turned Sylvester Stallone into a bankable movie star (well deserved after he struggled to get the film made), and the franchise is still going strong with the recent “Creed” trilogy starring Michael B. Jordan. It’s a movie that will have you fist-pumping in satisfaction and is perhaps the ultimate underdog story. Plus, you just cannot beat that iconic theme tune!
The titular Rocky Balboa (Stallone) is a no-name boxer working as a collector for a loan shark, but he's got big dreams. When the reigning world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), offers the chance for a local contender to face him, Rocky gets his big shot. Rocky’s training for the fight of his life comes at the same time he begins a relationship and starts to fall for Adrian (Taila Shire).
Watch "Rocky" on Netflix now
‘The Martian’ (2015)
“The Martin” is a more unconventional pick, perhaps, but in my mind it’s got big dad movie energy. It’s based on the popular Andy Weir novel (the same author behind “Project Hail Mary”), and sees Matt Damon — clearly, he loves starring in dad movies — and is all about a battle for survival on the Red Planet. With a strong cast, great direction from Ridley Scott and an engrossing narrative, it’s a two-and-a-half-hour movie that flies by.
During a botched attempt to abort a mission on Mars, astronaut Mark Watney (Damon) is presumed dead and left behind on the planet’s red surface. Now stranded in a hostile environment, Watney must find a way to contact NASA so they can begin the daunting task of bringing him home, but first, he has to figure out how to survive on the hostile Mars.
Watch "The Martian" on Fubo now
