Original Coverage & Source Attribution: collider.com
In case the world needed a reminder that the job title ‘stay at home mom’ is one of the most underappreciated and undervalued careers in existence, a near dud, feel-good comedy The Breadwinner attempted to serve as a refresher. Starring Nate Bergatze and This is Us star Mandy Moore, the film captures a picture-perfect family attempting to grapple with a once-in-lifetime opportunity, and a consequent mom and dad role swap. Despite the cliché plot, depicting a father who realizes he doesn’t know how to be a father after being a father for over a decade, the film earned a surprising second life on Netflix after its initially negative response.
Is there a certain, unplaceable yet somehow noticeable, sexist undertone going on here? Maybe. The film, without a doubt, was attempting to do the very opposite. However, with clumsy writing and cliché tropes (dad realizes he doesn’t know where any of his children go to school, doesn’t know how to do laundry, etc.), this accidental consequence was arguably inevitable. That being said, with comedy legends like Kumail Ali Nanjiani, Colin Jost, Kate Berlant, and Zach Cherry, on board to save the day, the cast makes up for the miss-steps entirely, and is a likely cause for the uptick in streaming numbers.
Audience’s Response to ‘The Breadwinner’, Then Vs. Now
At one point, seemingly by all accounts, The Breadwinner was a bad movie. Critics found it to be an unimaginative remake of the 80s classic Mr. Mom, only with worse gags and a lack of vintage charm. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it was stale, un-cinematic, and earned a rightful 20% on the Tomatometer. It was called regressive, especially due to a majority of its gags falling into the category of “idiot man can’t run a household” or “idiot man has an epiphany: being a mom, and being a woman, is hard.” Plus, as a side note, the product placement was beyond in your face. Including both Toyota and SharkTank, to audiences the film felt more like a commercial than a story.
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With all of that being said, after hitting Netflix’s Rolodex, things suddenly changed for the film. Immediately, it pulled 553 million viewing minutes, earning the #2 spot on the platform during its initial release. More recently, as of October 19th 2026, the film is still sitting comfortably in the top ten. As of now, the family comedy ranks at #6, and has spent 3 weeks in the daily rankings. So, why and how exactly did this happen? As is the case with many so-so films, audiences are angered and disappointed when the money they spent on a ticket at the theater proves to be a waste. Doubly, some people aren’t willing to go to the theater at all. Streaming, on the other hand, allows audiences to experiment with new films without feeling they’re wasting their time or money, thus allowing an okay film to feel somehow more positive.
- Release Date
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May 28, 2026
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Eric Appel
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Nate Bargatze
Nate Wilcox
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Stella Grace Fitzgerald
Gracie Wilcox
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Charlotte Ann Tucker
Sam Wilcox
