Adam Devine
Owen Browning
The Out-Laws
“Meeting the in-laws has never been this dangerous.”
2023
1h 35m
Director: Tyler Spindel
Overview
A straight-laced bank manager is about to marry the love of his life. When his bank is held up by infamous Ghost Bandits during his wedding week, he believes his future in-laws who just arrived in town, are the infamous Out-Laws.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
6 min readThe Out-Laws: A Heist Comedy That Forgets to Steal the Show
I’ve seen this movie before. Not this movie, exactly, but the blueprint it’s built from—so many times that by the time Adam Devine’s Owen Browning, a sweating, stammering bank manager, realizes his future in-laws might be the infamous Ghost Bandits, I could recite the beats of the next 90 minutes from memory. The setup is Meet the Parents meets The In-Laws, with a dash of Home Alone’s slapstick and a sprinkle of Ocean’s Eleven’s heist-movie cosplay.
The problem isn’t that The Out-Laws is derivative; it’s that it doesn’t seem to realize how much it’s leaning on those tropes—or, more importantly, how little it adds to them.
The film’s opening act is its most promising. Owen is a man so allergic to conflict that he’d rather approve a fraudulent loan than tell a customer no. His fiancée, Parker (Nina Dobrev), is the opposite—confident, capable, and just a little exasperated by his people-pleasing.
Their chemistry is warm, if underdeveloped, and the early scenes of wedding-week chaos (a bickering family, a meddling mother-in-law, a groom who can’t say no) have the potential to mine humor from the mundane. But then the Ghost Bandits strike Owen’s bank, and the film lurches into a different gear—one that feels like it belongs to a different movie entirely.
That’s when Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin arrive as Billy and Lilly McDermott, Parker’s parents. They’re charming, mysterious, and just a little too interested in Owen’s bank’s security protocols. Brosnan, in particular, is having a blast.
He plays Billy with the same effortless charisma he brought to The Thomas Crown Affair, but here it’s dialed up to a self-aware wink. When he casually mentions that he and Lilly “used to be in the business,” it’s the kind of line that could land as a sly nod to the audience—or as a lazy shortcut to tension. The Out-Laws can’t decide which, so it lands somewhere in the middle: not quite clever enough to be a parody, not quite earnest enough to be a straight heist comedy.
The film’s biggest sin isn’t its predictability; it’s its timidity. There’s a moment early on where Owen, convinced the McDermotts are the Ghost Bandits, dons a Shrek costume to infiltrate their hideout. It’s a gag that could have been absurdly funny—imagine Brosnan’s suave criminal forced to negotiate with a man in an ogre suit—but the scene plays it safe, as if the filmmakers were afraid to fully commit to the bit.
Audience Opinions
Audience 6.3/10
"A lighthearted action-comedy with solid laughs but struggles to stand out from similar films."
The film delivers consistent humor and benefits from Adam Devine’s comedic timing, making it an enjoyable watch for fans of slapstick and crime capers. latestnetflix.com's read is that however, the plot feels recycled, and some jokes fall flat, leaving viewers wanting more originality or depth in the storytelling.
What viewers praise
- Strong comedic performances Adam Devine and the supporting cast, particularly Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin, bring energy and humor that keep the film entertaining.
- Lighthearted fun The movie succeeds as a breezy, feel-good comedy with enough laughs to make it a decent choice for casual viewing.
- Engaging trailer moments The trailer’s highlights, like action-comedy set pieces, translate well to the film and deliver on expectations.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows well-worn tropes of crime comedies, offering little surprise or innovation for viewers familiar with the genre.
- Uneven humor While some jokes land well, others feel forced or repetitive, leading to inconsistent comedic pacing.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting roles, aside from Brosnan and Barkin, lack depth and often serve as mere comedic props rather than fully realized characters.
Recommended for
Fans of Adam Devine’s comedy Light action-comedy lovers Weekend movie watchers Pierce Brosnan enthusiasts Slapstick humor fans
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsNetflix’s "The Out-Laws": A Star-Studded Comedy Heist with Happy Madison Roots
Adam Devine and Pierce Brosnan lead the chaotic charge in The Out-Laws, a 2023 Netflix action-comedy that blends wedding-week jitters with bank heists and mistaken identities. latestnetflix.com's view is that Directed by Tyler Spindel—best known for his work with Happy Madison Productions—the film leans into the studio’s signature brand of slapstick humor, this time with a twist: a straight-laced bank manager (Devine) suspects his future in-laws are actually the infamous "Ghost Bandits" terrorizing his town 
.
A Happy Madison Reunion with A-List Cameos
The Out-Laws marks another collaboration between Devine and Happy Madison, the production company founded by Adam Sandler, who serves as a producer alongside Devine and longtime Sandler collaborator Allen Covert 
. The film’s pedigree is pure Happy Madison: broad comedy, physical gags, and a cast that mixes rising stars with seasoned veterans. Brosnan, fresh off his turn as a suave villain in Black Adam, trades in his James Bond charm for the role of Billy McDermott, the patriarch of Devine’s soon-to-be in-law family—and a prime suspect in the string of bank robberies plaguing the wedding festivities .
Ellen Barkin and Julie Hagerty round out the McDermott clan as the matriarch and eccentric aunt, respectively, while Nina Dobrev plays Devine’s fiancée, Parker. The supporting cast includes Guardians of the Galaxy’s Michael Rooker, Scrubs alum Richard Kind, and Never Have I Ever’s Poorna Jagannathan, adding depth to the film’s comedic ensemble .
Tyler Spindel’s Directorial Playbook
Spindel, a frequent Happy Madison collaborator, has carved out a niche directing Netflix comedies like The Wrong Missy and Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish). Born in 1988, he cut his teeth in the comedy world before transitioning to feature films, often working with Sandler’s production team . The Out-Laws continues his streak of high-energy, gag-driven films, though critics have noted its similarities to earlier wedding-gone-wrong comedies like Very Bad Things and The Hangover 
.
The film’s premise—wedding chaos meets heist thriller—isn’t entirely original, but Spindel’s direction keeps the pacing brisk, balancing Devine’s physical comedy with Brosnan’s deadpan delivery. The dynamic between the two leads is the film’s biggest draw, with Brosnan’s suave demeanor clashing hilariously with Devine’s frantic, everyman energy .
Behind the Scenes: Rumors and Production Notes
While details about the film’s production are scarce, The Out-Laws was shot in 2022, with filming reportedly taking place in Georgia . The movie’s clever title is a play on the "Ghost Bandits" gang, whose name mirrors the "Out-Laws" Devine’s character fears his in-laws might be .
One unverified rumor suggests that Brosnan, known for his dramatic roles, initially hesitated to take on the project but was won over by the script’s humor and the chance to work with Devine. Neither actor has confirmed this, but their on-screen chemistry suggests a mutual appreciation for the film’s tone .
As for the film’s reception, early reviews have been mixed. Critics praise the cast’s comedic timing but note that The Out-Laws doesn’t break new ground in the genre. Still, for fans of Happy Madison’s brand of humor, it delivers exactly what it promises: a rowdy, over-the-top romp with a few surprises .
The Bottom Line
The Out-Laws is a solid addition to Netflix’s comedy catalog, offering a star-studded cast, a director with a knack for physical comedy, and a premise that—while familiar—keeps the laughs coming. Whether it’s Brosnan’s unexpected turn as a potential criminal mastermind or Devine’s frantic attempts to save his wedding (and his bank), the film is a fun, if forgettable, ride.
For those who enjoy Sandler-adjacent comedies or heist parodies, it’s worth a watch. Just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel—it’s content to be a well-oiled machine of gags and one-liners, and in that, it succeeds.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.