The Dink
A disgraced tennis player takes up pickleball in a comic bid to rescue his club and finally win his father’s respect.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- breezy
- warm
- lazy sunday
- group movie night
What critics said
Critics view it as an amiable but uneven sports comedy whose accessible humor and cast energy outweigh its familiar comeback formula.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dustin is a washed-up tennis pro who turns to pickleball as a route back into competition and relevance.
The protagonist must reluctantly move from tennis into pickleball to help save the club.
Dustin’s athletic effort is motivated in part by his desire to earn his father’s respect.
The effort to save the tennis club makes the recreational facility central to both the competition and the character relationships.
Films like The Dink, and why
Kingpin
shares an irreverent sports-comedy tone, an aging competitor, and a comeback built around unlikely athletic circumstances
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
matches the underdog sports structure, broad comic ensemble, and competitive club culture
Wimbledon
shares a warm comeback narrative, romantic and family pressures, and accessible tennis-centered humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Josh Greenbaum
- Release Date
- 2026-07-23
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (45)
Cast
- Jake Johnson
- Mary Steenburgen
- Chloe Fineman
- Aaron Chen
- Patton Oswalt
- Andy Roddick
- John McEnroe
- Ben Stiller
- Ed Harris
- Cleo King
Common questions
- What is The Dink about?
- A disgraced tennis player takes up pickleball in a comic bid to rescue his club and finally win his father’s respect.
- What is The Dink like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Dink as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Dink violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Dink.
- What did critics think of The Dink?
- Critics view it as an amiable but uneven sports comedy whose accessible humor and cast energy outweigh its familiar comeback formula.
- Which films are like The Dink?
- Films with a similar feel include Kingpin, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, and Wimbledon.
- How long is The Dink?
- The Dink runs 103 minutes.
