Film

Vacation

Name: Vacation
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Released: 2015
Cast: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Chris Hemsworth

Comedy
Light-hearted

A grown-up Rusty Griswold attempts to recreate his own magical family vacation for his kids, with predictably chaotic results. This 2015 reboot leans hard into slapstick and awkward-family-comedy beats, finding warmth in the gap between nostalgia and reality. It's unambitious but affable—comfort food for people who like watching good-natured chaos unfold.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy raunchy, sharply escalating family road-trip slapstick where the humiliations pile up with a mean streak and a surprising amount of affection for the people being wrecked.

Skip it if you want gentle, warm comedy, since this one leans on crude jokes, bad behaviour and a hard edge that some viewers will find grating rather than funny.

What it asks of you: Brisk and loud for ninety-nine minutes, it keeps the gags coming with little patience for quiet moments and happily lets the family fall apart in public.

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

If you liked this

Little Fockers2010

Same DNA: a well-meaning dad trying to impress while everything spirals. Ben Stiller's anxiety and the supporting cast chaos will feel familiar if you enjoyed Helms' sweating energy.

But Relies heavily on dated in-law jokes and doesn't break much new ground. Can feel more awkward than funny to modern tastes.

We're the Millers2013

Road-trip comedy with a found-family structure and a game cast clearly having fun. Jason Sudeikis brings similar bumbling-dad energy in a slightly more absurd scenario.

But Humor skews broad and raunchy. If you prefer character work over set pieces, it might feel empty.

Why Him?2016

James Franco as a billionaire boyfriend clashes with Bryan Cranston's wary dad—same generational tension and family gatherings going wrong. Warm-hearted underneath the comedy.

But Very broad. The humor doesn't always land and it leans on fish-out-of-water clichés without much subversion.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

National Lampoon's Vacation1983

Direct lineage: this is the Griswold family origin story. The reboot is essentially a son trying to recreate his father's disaster—watching the original turns the new film into unintentional pathos.

The original that Rusty himself lived through. Chevy Chase in the same role decades earlier—you see where Ed Helms' character comes from, and it's genuinely funnier and stranger than you might expect.

But 1980s pacing is slower and weirder. If you need constant modern quipping, the dry approach might feel sluggish.

Grown Ups2010

A group of old friends reunite; it's loose, silly, and genuinely affectionate about friendship and nostalgia. If you like ensemble casts riffing, this scratches that itch.

But Almost plotless. Feels more like a hangout session than a shaped story—patience required.

The Brady Bunch Movie1995

Affectionate spoof of a 1970s family trying to navigate the '90s. Sharp-edged in a way Vacation isn't, but shares that 'family chaos as comedy' foundation.

But Heavily reliant on Brady Bunch knowledge. If you're not familiar with the source material, much of the humor disappears.

RV2006

Robin Williams and family in an RV heading west; another 'vacation gone wrong' premise with some genuinely sweet moments about family reconnection buried in the chaos.

But Robin Williams' energy can be exhausting. The movie tries to balance cuteness and comedy and often lands awkwardly between both.

Cheaper by the Dozen2003

Large family trying to survive together as a unit. Lighthearted, ensemble-focused, and interested in the actual relationships beneath the madness.

But Very dated in tone and humor. Can feel saccharine if you're not in the mood for earnest family wholesomeness.

Four Rooms1995

Escalating chaos in one location with a game cast. Improvisational energy and a willingness to let situations get absurd without explaining them away.

But Uneven—some sketches land, others don't. Feels more like a collection of bits than a cohesive film.

Duplex2003

Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore buy a house and everything goes wrong. Similar 'ordinary person vs. circumstances' frustration comedy, with real chemistry between leads.

But Tone is oddly dark for a mainstream comedy. The third act veers into places that undercut the humor.

The Honourable Woman2014

The central question haunts both: what do we owe to our parents' versions of things? Rusty chases nostalgia as comedy; Gyllenhaal's character does it as tragedy. Same inheritance, opposite results.

Miniseries with Maggie Gyllenhaal as a woman trying to honor her father's legacy while everything around her dissolves into chaos. Grief, family expectation, and ambition collide in genuinely complex ways.

But Completely different register—this is tense, serious drama about trauma and geopolitics. Zero laughs. If you want light entertainment, this is a hard pivot.