8 movies perfect for Father’s Day

Father’s Day weekend is loading… and whether thoughts of your dad conjure up Phil Dunphy or Darth Vader, it’s a time to celebrate your father or reflect on being one. This commemorative day isn’t only for the biologicals, it’s also for the father figures and mentors who have been called “to nurture, love, care, protect, guide” and simply be present.

To help appreciate all the types of fathers we have in our lives and their overarching influence, here are eight films about fatherhood dedicated to the top of the pops. Pro-tip: if you’re planning on giving him a gift this year… only give him socks if you knitted them yourself.

Meet Melusi

Aubrey has the perfect life, wife, kid and job. When his company picks up a possible bribe, he’s unceremoniously fired and forced to start over. Just as things couldn’t possibly get any worse, a 16-year-old dude named Melusi is introduced to Aubrey as his long-lost son.

Meet Melusi stars SAFTA-winning actor Mothusi Magano, Kenneth Nkosi, Nunu Khumalo, Linda Sebenzo and introduces the easy-going Lungile Khumo as Melusi. This upbeat and spirited coming-of-age comedy drama has swagger, exploring fatherhood and familial responsibility through a series of fun misadventures. Sporting a sharp soundtrack and covering important themes, Meet Melusi’s an entertaining and heartwarming movie about what it means to be called “Dad”.

New Material

Material focussed on a father-son relationship at a family-run material shop in Johannesburg. This local comedy drama harnessed Riaad Moosa’s real-life story of wanting to be a stand-up comedian instead of following in his father’s footsteps to create its own tapestry of hilarity and heartache, with Moosa playing opposite Vincent Ebrahim.

New Material journeys with Moosa, whose comedy roadshow misadventures with his buddies takes centre-stage. Yet the SAFTA-winning duo and emotional core from Material remains as Riaad tries to become his own man without bringing dishonour to his father. It’s this complex, yet tender and even touching relationship that underscores the importance of dads and parents who always know best.

The Father

Anthony Hopkins isn’t a warm, fuzzy kind of dad… especially when liver, fava beans and a nice Chianti are on the menu. Yet, his Oscar-winning performance in The Father elegantly represents the growing rift between parents and children caused by ageing and the onset of dementia. This is a challenging psychological drama that explores a man’s perception of reality as he struggles to separate illusion and lucidity.

Slipping between reflections of reality, Hopkins plays his namesake in a seemingly effortless, intimate and haunting performance. Trying to make sense of the mystery and characters that surround him, we get a fresh appreciation of a deeply frustrating and alienating predicament that affects more and more families every year.

Made in Italy

Taken is the role that launched Liam Neeson’s career as a latter-day action hero. What many tend to forget is that it also set him up as a super-dad in his do-or-die mission to rescue his daughter from a human trafficking syndicate. Made in Italy finds Neeson playing opposite his real-life son, Micheál Richardson, in a restorative drama with romcom undertones.

While fixing up an old family home in Italy, the estranged father-son pair find their groove again. As they soak up the sights and sounds of the Italian countryside, their personal renovation project turns into a watershed moment as the men come to terms with the loss of the former owner.

My Spy

Fast and Furious kingpin Vin Diesel co-starred with Dave Bautista in Guardians of the Galaxy, but they’ve got another thing in common – they’ve both played tough guys with big hearts. For Diesel it was The Pacifier and for Bautista, it’s My Spy, an action comedy about a hardened spy on an unconventional surveillance mission involving a precocious nine-year-old.

This Dave Bautista star vehicle is entertaining, lighthearted and cranks up the feel good with some hilarious supporting acts as a tough guy becomes a mentor, friend and protector. The cute and familiar chemistry between Bautista and young star Chloe Coleman is tempered by slick action sequences in a spy comedy from Get Smart director, Peter Segal.

Father’s Day

Billy Crystal and Robin Williams are comedy legends so it was only a matter of time before they did a movie together. That movie is Father’s Day, a road trip comedy that finds a streetwise lawyer and failed writer joining forces in order to hunt down their prodigal son. This comedy about fatherhood is a celebration of Crystal’s wisecracking and Williams’ goofiness, who were both at the top of their game in the 90s.

Father’s Day is directed by Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) and based on the 1983 French comedy Les Compères. Coasting on a delightful “who’s the daddy?” concept much like Mamma Mia, this one’s all about the natural born entertainers, the road trip misadventures and giddy ad-libbing fun.

The Iron Giant

Brad Bird is the visionary director behind the near-perfect animated adventure The Incredibles, the surprisingly satisfying Ratatouille and thrilling Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. As a perfectionist, he’s on a mission to deliver nuanced, thoughtful and intelligent entertainment and has been at the forefront of storytelling for decades having started with a little show called The Simpsons.

One of Bird’s other crowning achievements is The Iron Giant, a beautiful, funny, touching and altogether brilliant animated sci-fi action adventure. While similar to Spielberg’s E.T., The Iron Giant centres on an unlikely kinship between a giant robot from outer space and a boy named Hogarth. Playing the role of a best friend, teacher and hero, the mechanical giant comes to represent the father-shaped void in Hogarth’s life.

Delivery Man

Delivery Man is a fun remake of the comedy Starbuck, starring Vince Vaughn as hapless yet well-meaning slacker David Wozniak. Struggling to fulfil the role of dad-to-be when his girlfriend announces she’s pregnant, the irresponsible and irrepressible deadbeat soon discovers his anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier have led to him “fathering” literally hundreds of children.

It’s a dream role for Vaughn who’s able to find the perfect balance between humorous and heartwarming opposite Chris Pratt and Cobie Smulders. Having been a dad in real life since 2010, Vaughn knows a thing or two about being a daddy and it’s not surprising to discover the charming motormouth’s nickname is Mr Sunshine.

More movies about dads and father figures on Showmax

Light of My Life (2019)

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) is quite possibly the darkest horse. Overshadowed by his brother’s accolades, Casey trades on this underdog ticket, taking on the role of writer-director and star opposite Anna Pniowsky as his daughter Rag. The thought-provoking story picks up in the aftermath of a pandemic that wiped out most of earth’s female population, as a father disguises his daughter as a son in order to protect her.

Light of My Life immerses us in a fierce world where ruthless bandits are hunting the last remaining females. The two race across British Columbia, desperate to stay ahead of these bad men.

Prisoners (2013)

How far would a father go to get his daughter back? Denis Villeneuve’s dark and stormy thriller, Prisoners, attempts to answer this soul-searching question. The story centres on the abduction of two girls in Pennsylvania and the ensuing police investigation and manhunt to bring them home safely.

Prisoners stars Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal (End of Watch), who lead a stellar film of impassioned performances as a detective traces a series of clues and a father takes the law into his own hands. A nightmare for parents, it soon becomes a nightmare for the primary suspect in this see-sawing and suspenseful ethical drama. 

I Can Only Imagine (2018)

This touching music biopic was inspired by the bestselling Christian single of all-time of the same name by MercyMe. The song relates to Bart Millard’s upbringing and difficult relationship with his father, which becomes the focal point in I Can Only Imagine. The chronicle moves through his school years, struggling to win his father’s approval, suffering a football injury and discovering his talent for music.

J. Michael Finley and Dennis Quaid (A Dog’s Journey) deliver full-range performances in this well-crafted and inspiring drama. Wrestling with tough love, I Can Only Imagine relays a powerful true father-son story through rousing music and earnest screenwriting.

Creed: Rocky’s Legacy (2015)

Just when Sly Stallone started running out of ways to reboot Rambo and Rocky, along comes Rocky sequel and spin-off sports drama Creed: Rocky’s Legacy. Following Apollo Creed’s son Adonis or “Donnie”, we chart his rise to boxing stardom from exiting a youth detention facility to seeking the guidance of his father’s rival and former heavyweight champ, Rocky Balboa.

Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Sylvester Stallone headline this entertaining, uplifting and powerful boxing drama under Ryan Coogler’s inspired direction. Channeling Rocky’s underdog spirit and a modern swagger, this is a rousing tale about long-lost fathers, father figures and mentors.

Brad’s Status (2017)

Ben Stiller is a funny fall guy, whose most memorable roles involve him dodging humiliation, his father-in-law, dinosaurs or reality in Along Came Polly, Meet the Parents, Night at the Museum or The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Now struggling with his social status in comparison with his wealthy and successful old buddies, Stiller takes on a more relatable role as a father in Brad’s Status.

Stiller stars opposite Austin Abrams as his musically-gifted son Troy in this funny and touching comedy drama. Entertaining his envy on a nostalgic road trip to visit prospective colleges, Brad slowly unlocks his insecurity, realising that there’s so much more to life than money.