DRIVER’S ED

(director: Bobby Farrelly; screenwriter: Thomas Moffett; cinematographer: Itai Ne’eman; editor: Julie Garces; music: John Frizzell; cast: Sam Nivola (Jeremy), Molly Shannon (Principal Lucy Fisher), Lilah Pate (Samantha), Kumail Nanjiani (Mr. Rivers), Aidan Laprete (Yoshi), Bri Giger (Officer Lee), Tom Baltz (Officer Walsh), Mohana Krishnan (Aparna), Sophie Telegadis (Evie), Alyssa Milano (Dr. Goodman, Jeremy’s mother); Runtime: 98; MPAA Rating: R; producers: David Stone, Jonas Pate, Jennifer Pate; AGC Studios/Vertical; 2025)

“Its rather tame and not funny.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
 
 A disappointing gross-out teenage comedy directed by Bobby Farrelly (“Dear Santa”/ “Champions”), who is going solo without his brother Peter as co-director. The script by Thomas Moffett is rather tame and not funny.

The aspiring filmmaker Jeremy (Sam Nivola) is a high school senior in North Carolina. His girlfriend Samantha (Lilah Pate) is away in college in Chapel Hill and thinks of breaking up with him. This prompts him to steal the school’s driver ed car to visit her. Going along for the ride are his classmates: the unhappy romantic skeptic Evie (Sophie Telegadis), the smart student Aparna (Mohana Krishnan) and the stoner Yoshi (Aidan Laprete).

Their actions are comically monitored by the principal (Molly Shannon), the driving ed instructor whose car was stolen (Kumail Nanjiani), and the school security guard (Tom Baltz) who yearns to be on the police force again.

It’s a harmless coming-of-age adventure film more fit for the 1980s than for today. I found it corny and the middle-part was a drag.

It played at the Toronto Film Festival.

REVIEWED ON 5/18/2026  GRADE: C
dennisschwartzreviews.com