Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- raunchy
- witty
- awkward
- date night
- adult comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the premise potentially provocative but undermined by an inconsistent, insufficiently funny blend of raunchy humor and traditional domestic values.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rick and Fred receive a weeklong hall pass from their wives, turning imagined sexual freedom into the film's central social experiment.
The hall pass promises anything-goes behavior, but the story contrasts that fantasy with renewed investment in marriage and domestic values.
The husbands pursue their hall-pass plans while the wives make connections of their own during the same period.
The protagonists' delayed attempts to act on their freedom create awkward, lewd, and socially humiliating situations.
Films like Hall Pass, and why
The Break-Up
shares an adult romantic comedy format, marital conflict, sexual misunderstandings, and broad Farrelly-style humor
The Change-Up
shares raunchy relationship comedy, marriage anxiety, and male-female romantic conflict
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
shares irreverent adult humor, relationship insecurity, and a comic struggle between commitment and sexual freedom
The Heartbreak Kid
shares broad ensemble romance, infidelity-related tension, and a conservative emotional resolution beneath provocative comedy
Movie Details
- Directors
- Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
- Release Date
- 2011-02-25
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (2197)
Cast
- Owen Wilson
- Jason Sudeikis
- Jenna Fischer
- Christina Applegate
- Nicky Whelan
- Richard Jenkins
- Stephen Merchant
- Larry Joe Campbell
- Bruce Thomas
- Tyler Hoechlin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hall Pass about?
- Two restless husbands discover that a week of marital freedom is less liberating—and more complicated—than their fantasies promised.
- What is Hall Pass like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hall Pass as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Hall Pass violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Hall Pass.
- What did critics think of Hall Pass?
- Critics broadly found the premise potentially provocative but undermined by an inconsistent, insufficiently funny blend of raunchy humor and traditional domestic values.
- Which films are like Hall Pass?
- Films with a similar feel include The Break-Up, The Change-Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and The Heartbreak Kid.
- How long is Hall Pass?
- Hall Pass runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hall Pass?
- In United States, Hall Pass streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
