There are some films with plotlines so predictable, you can guess where the story is headed within just a few minutes. Sometimes that’s a bad thing, but sometimes, as in the case of Netflix’s “Yes Day,” it’s simply because the premise and point of the movie is so earnestly transparent that it’s impossible to maintain any element of surprise.
“Yes Day” is a comedy movie based on the children’s book of the same name by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Allison (Jennifer Garner) and Carlos (Édgar Ramírez) are a married couple with three kids. Frustrated that their children perceive them as dictatorial fun vacuums, the pair agree to give Katie, Nando and Ellie decision-making privileges for one day — a day in which the two uptight parents hope to reconnect with their kids, whatever the cost.
As you might imagine — and as you will have correctly predicted – there’s a blend of mischievous hijinks, borderline slapstick set pieces, sweet family connection and frayed tempers that result in some harsh words, forced introspection and, ultimately, a grandstanding reconciliation.
None of this makes “Yes Day” a definitively bad movie — but it does make it predictable. Garner turns the earnest mom routine up to 11, and Ramirez (in a departure from the far more serious roles he is known for) pulls off a hapless “good cop” with aplomb. There’s nothing to actively dislike about the movie, but there’s nothing to particularly rave about either. It’s a formulaic, feel-good family comedy that ticks a lot of the obvious boxes. Because it’s such familiar fodder, it’s also no surprise that there’s no nuance either – Allison’s desire to return to work and Carlos’s tendency toward overprotective caution (because of his hyper analytical job) are narrative threads that get a single mention, and then are never pulled on again.
There’s a smattering of quirky supporting characters and exactly the kind of schmaltzy ending you’d expect. It may not set the cinematic world alight, but “Yes Day” does at least deliver on everything it promises to be.