*This story contains spoilers from Netflix’s “Me Time.”
Many dads dream of time alone, away from their family to let loose. Sonny (Kevin Hart), a stay-at-home dad decides to join his unhinged friend Huck (Mark Wahlberg) during his time off from being a “Mr. Mom,” and his time was far from forgettable.
Sonny Fisher is a full-time dad with two kids, Dash (Che Tafari) and Ava (Amentii Sledge). He’s married to his breadwinner wife, Maya (Regina Hall). After being made fun of by his coworkers and wife for not being able to take time to himself, Sonny reluctantly agrees to let Maya and the kids go away for a trip with him left behind.
The boredom kicks in instantaneously. In the back of his mind, however, Sonny remembers his long-time pal Huck had invited him to his 44th birthday party but refused to go at first because of their now different dynamic. Whether it was a good decision or not, Sonny realized he should go. It all goes downhill from there, to say the least.
Despite the underlying plot revolving around the friendship between Sonny and Huck, the story gets a bit twisted once Sonny joins Huck’s party. It begins in a desert at Huck’s version of the Burning Man Festival full of drugs and music. It almost stopped there, but two mysterious characters show up, Dorit (Shira Gross) and Stan Berman (Jimmy O. Yang). They arrive at the festival to collect money Huck owes them and eventually burn down the tents and festival’s setup, cutting the party short. Scenes like this are where I got lost because the movie’s extra background storylines seemed unnecessary compared to what I saw in previews and read prior to watching the movie.
From Netflix’s trailers, “Me Time” seemed like an innocent family comedy. However, the exaggerated jokes about sex, being old and booze between Huck and Sonny prove this movie attempted to be relatable to the dads in the same boat as Sonny. Even though Hart is a well-known comedian and Wahlberg has acted in similar films like “Daddy’s Home,” some of the jokes between Sonny and Huck fell short because of how raunchy they were, like when Sonny defecated on a bed of his enemy. These scenes were unrealistic to me, as I can’t imagine a grown man acting like they did most of the time. This movie has gained a lot of attention, negative and positive. Most of the reviews online agree with the jokes going too far, with way too many poop and masturbation comments.
On the other hand, the supporting characters seemed to save the comedy portion of the movie. Thelma (Ilia Isorelýs Paulino) was Huck’s driver and appeared in the second half of the movie and joined them on their adventures after the failed music festival. Despite Wahlberg and Hart being known for their sense of humor, Thelma was the main reason I enjoyed finishing the movie. In one scene she assisted Huck and Sonny with revenge on a coworker of Sonny’s wife, manically laughing and crashing plates on the floor of his mansion. She then played the role of the getaway driver perfectly, and her presence was necessary to make this film laughable.
Although I believe “Me Time” became confusing because of how many subplots there were, the biggest takeaway Sonny gains from this trip is a newfound appreciation for his family after the weekend. I thought that the ending was heartwarming because it showed appreciation and validation for all of the dads out there in the world with this counter-hegemonic lifestyle. There aren’t many movies like this one that pay homage to stay-at-home dads and all of the work they do. It was nice to see Sonny was reluctant to have time to himself, rather than being someone who didn’t appreciate anything at all about his children. Regardless of the irrelevant side stories, I think “Me Time” was worth the watch because of the impressive cast and wholesome theme.
“Me Time” is available to stream on Netflix.
By Amena Ahmed