Penny Pincher! (2016)

Penny Pincher! takes a simple comic idea—a man who treats every cent like it’s on life support—and spins it into a brisk, good-natured crowd-pleaser powered by Dany Boon’s wonderfully committed performance. The movie’s real charm is how its gags grow out of character: François’ penny-saving rituals are staged with such energetic precision that you can feel the absurd logic of his world even as you laugh at it. When love and an unexpected family connection crash into his carefully locked-down routine, the film finds a warm, lightly sentimental groove without turning syrupy, letting the comedy come from the increasingly expensive cost of keeping up appearances. It’s not the sharpest or most daring French comedy you’ll ever see, but if you’re on the fence and want something upbeat, accessible, and consistently amusing, it earns its laughs the old-fashioned way—through timing, escalation, and a lead actor who knows exactly how to make a flaw funny.

Penny Pincher! is aiming for a broad, feel-good French comedy about a human calculator of a man being forced into emotional adulthood when love and an unexpected daughter crash into his carefully budgeted life. The problem is the movie leans hard on one central joke—his stinginess—and once you’ve got it, you’ll feel the gags start repeating and the story coasts into very familiar, checkbox-y territory. It’s not unwatchable, and Dany Boon can still squeeze some charm out of the character, with a few sweet father-daughter beats that land when the film slows down. But if you’re allergic to predictable arcs, exaggerated behavior, or comedies that run out of punch halfway through, this is one you can comfortably skip.