Dirty Grandpa

Jason Kelly is a straight-laced lawyer on the verge of marrying his controlling fiancÈe, a match that promises career advancement and stability. His plans get upended when his outspoken, foul-mouthed grandfather Dick tricks him into driving down to Daytona for spring break. What follows is a string of reckless nights, frat-house antics, and awkward encounters that force Jason to reassess what he wants out of life. The film keeps its focus on the clash between Jason's cautious ambitions and Dick's anything-goes attitude, trading sentimental beats for raunchy set pieces and an escalating tally of outrageous incidents, while avoiding major reveals about either man's deeper motivations.

Directed by Dan Mazer and credited to creator John Phillips, the 2016 comedy pairs Robert De Niro with Zac Efron and features Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, and Julianne Hough in supporting roles, packaged as a studio crowd-pleaser aimed at adult audiences.

The movie was a commercial success, drawing audiences with its shock-value premise and star power. It turned a relatively modest production into solid box office returns internationally, even as critics and some viewers argued over its taste and tone.

Critics were split, with many reviewers criticizing the movie's crude humor and uneven tone, while some acknowledged moments of genuine rapport between De Niro and Efron. User ratings sit around 5.935/10 (4517 votes), reflecting a mixed audience reaction. Central themes include generational friction, the tension between ambition and impulse, and how a single wild weekend can upend carefully laid plans.

Culturally, the film got attention mostly for its casting against type, with De Niro playing an abrasive, sexually frank elder who subverts his usual screen persona. That contrast, plus several over-the-top sequences, made it a frequent reference in conversations about late-career stunt casting and the limits of shock-driven comedy, even as it prompted debate about where humor crosses a line.