You Keep the Kids (2021)

You Keep the Kids is a wickedly clever twist on the divorce comedy: instead of fighting for custody, two supposedly “perfect” modern parents scramble to avoid it, and the film wrings big laughs from that deliciously upside-down premise. Dani de la Orden keeps the pace snappy and the set-pieces escalating, while Miren Ibarguren and Paco León commit so hard to the absurdity that even their worst impulses become darkly entertaining to watch. The vibe is irreverent, chaotic, and very Spanish in its fearless, anything-goes humor—more wince-and-laugh than warm-and-fuzzy—so if you want a wholesome family movie, this isn’t it. But if you’re on the fence and crave an original comedy that swings for the fences and actually lands its outrageous moments, this one is a bracing, memorable ride.

You Keep the Kids wants to be a darkly playful family comedy about two “modern” parents turning divorce and custody into a twisted competition, skewering selfish adulthood with farce. The problem is it leans so hard into making the parents behave appallingly toward their kids—drunken chaos, reckless decisions, and boundary-pushing gags—that what’s meant to be funny can feel mean-spirited or even upsetting rather than cathartic. If you’re expecting a warm, feel-good family movie or a grounded look at divorce, this will likely irritate you, especially since the resolution may not earn back the goodwill it spends. On the plus side, the cast has energy and the premise is sharp, so if you enjoy uncomfortable, exaggerated comedy where the adults are the villains, you might still find it watchable.