The Upside (2019)

The Upside works because it treats an unlikely friendship not as a gimmick, but as a lifeline—funny, messy, and genuinely moving in the way it lets two men from opposite ends of New York recalibrate each other’s lives. Kevin Hart brings a welcome restraint to his charm while still landing the laughs, and Bryan Cranston gives Phillip a sharp intelligence and quiet ache that keeps the film grounded even when the situations get big. Director Neil Burger keeps the pacing brisk and the tone buoyant, mixing penthouse polish with street-level energy so the story never sinks into syrup. It does follow a familiar crowd-pleaser path and leans on broad humor at times, but if you’re in the mood for a warm, accessible comedy-drama with real chemistry and a generous heart, it’s an easy yes.

The Upside is aiming for a crowd-pleasing, odd-couple friendship story with big emotions, easy laughs, and a tidy redemption arc. The problem is it plays like a formula you can see coming from the first scene—lots of inspirational beats, heavy-handed sentiment, and a “life lesson” tone that can feel manipulative rather than earned. It also largely sidesteps the thornier realities of disability, race, and class in favor of feel-good shortcuts, so if you want something nuanced or surprising, this will likely irritate you. Still, Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston have enough chemistry to keep it watchable, and if you’re in the mood for a safe, comforting tearjerker with a few solid comedic moments, it may do the job.