Film

Problem Child

Name: Problem Child
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1990
Cast: John Ritter, Jack Warden, Michael J. Oliver, Gilbert Gottfried, Amy Yasbeck

Slapstick
Light-hearted

A raucous 1990 comedy about a couple who adopt a precocious, mischief-loving seven-year-old with a gift for elaborate chaos. John Ritter plays the exasperated father caught between his wife's social ambitions and Junior's gleeful destruction. It's pure slapstick excess: anarchic, quick, and happiest when things are falling apart.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy broad, slapstick family chaos where a mischievous kid wrecks respectable adults and the set pieces escalate with cheerful, unapologetic nerve, the sort of comedy that feels like a rowdy 1990 Saturday afternoon.

Skip it if you want sharp dialogue or subtle character work, since the jokes lean on loud pratfalls, shouting and gags that repeat the same premise, and the film can feel thin and repetitive by its middle.

What it asks of you: It runs a brisk 81 minutes and asks little beyond a willingness to laugh at escalating mess; there is no slow build, just one disaster stacked on another in quick succession.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Home Alone1990

Macaulay Culkin's Kevin McCallister is also a child architect of havoc, turning his house into a comic booby trap. Both films revel in the joy of watching adults humiliated by younger, cleverer adversaries with relentless energy.

But Home Alone leans harder into sentiment and genuine menace. If you want pure chaos without the heart-tugging, Problem Child stays meaner.

Dennis the Menace1993

Another mischievous kid with a talent for accidental destruction who drives his well-meaning neighbor to distraction. Same collision of childhood anarchy with adult frustration, though Dennis is more innocent in intent than Junior.

But It's sweeter and more grounded. If you loved Problem Child specifically for its mean streak, this one softens the edges.

The Bad News Bears1976

A misfit team of troublemakers with an unorthodox coach played by Walter Matthau. Tart humor, chaos, and the comedy of watching authority figures get provoked by the young and undisciplined.

But It's slower-paced and rooted in something closer to real life. Not nearly as cartoonish as Problem Child's madness.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Problem Child

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Matilda1996

Both feature a child protagonist with superhuman ability to create disorder, but Matilda weaponizes it with intention while Junior just enjoys watching adults suffer.

Danny DeVito directs and stars in a film about a precocious child with telekinetic powers who uses them against the tyrannical adults around her. Like Problem Child, it's about a gifted child destabilizing authority—except Matilda actually has a purpose behind her chaos and uses it to win.

But It's whimsical and earnest rather than cynical. Problem Child celebrates destruction for its own sake; Matilda believes destruction can fix things.

Uncle Buck1989

John Candy as the disreputable uncle who destabilizes a buttoned-up household with his messy presence. Like Problem Child, it's about how one chaotic force can demolish pretense and social order.

But It has genuine warmth and eventually goes soft. Problem Child never really softens—it stays committed to the chaos.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World1963

An escalating spectacle of slapstick destruction featuring dozens of comic actors in a treasure hunt that levels everything in its path. Pure comedic mayhem across ninety minutes with barely a pause.

But It's episodic and a bit creaky by modern pacing standards. Problem Child moves faster and feels snappier.

Troop Beverly Hills1989

Shelley Long as an unlikely troop leader whose glamorous chaos inspires a group of underdogs. Comedy about disruption and misfit energy overthrowing rigid social structures, with an 80s sheen.

But It's softer and more girl-oriented in its sensibility. If you want pure delinquent energy, this is gentler.

The Mighty Ducks1992

A ragtag underdog sports team coached by an eccentric Emilio Estevez. That same joy of watching misfits and troublemakers bond while breaking rules and disrupting establishment expectations.

But It's aspirational and has actual character growth. Problem Child has zero interest in anyone learning a lesson.

Beethoven1992

A slobbering, uncontrollable force of chaos enters a straitlaced household and destroys it with oblivious glee. The same collision between order and anarchic disruption that Problem Child loves.

But The chaos is accidental rather than intentional. Junior *wants* to wreak havoc; Beethoven doesn't mean to.

Blank Check1994

A mischievous kid exploits a loophole and generates pure havoc with adult resources. Energetic 90s comedy about how children can bend the rules and systems adults have built.

But It loses steam midway and feels more aimed at a younger audience. Problem Child stays committed to its own chaos.

Heathers1989

Both find comedy in the systematic destruction of social order by someone society underestimates, but Heathers means it.

A dark comedy about a high school girl who helps her boyfriend murder the popular kids. Same spirit of gleeful rule-breaking and social destruction, but weaponized and genuinely dangerous. Winona Ryder is the chaos agent—articulate, charming, and utterly amoral.

But It's a teen film about actual murder with genuine nihilism. Problem Child is slapstick. This is much darker and will offend people who take it seriously.

Ratatouille2007

Both feature a non-human disruptor who tears apart established systems and hierarchies, but Remy uses it to create something beautiful while Junior just loves the wreckage.

An animated film about a rat who controls a hapless chef by pulling his hair, creating magnificent chaos in a fancy kitchen. Like Problem Child, it's about an unlikely force of nature (small, unconventional, deemed unfit) destroying the pretensions of authority through sheer determination and energy.

But It's a Pixar film—beautiful, emotional, and ultimately about found family. Problem Child has no heart. If you want chaos with purpose and genuine warmth, this is it.