The Family Stone

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, The Family Stone is available in Australia on Netflix and Disney Plus, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 1,156 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Dermot Mulroney's performance alone is worth the time investment. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

The Family Stone arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The Family Stone does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life. Dermot Mulroney and Sarah Jessica Parker lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It was released in 2005. The Family Stone earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in The Family Stone. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Dermot Mulroney is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.

The Family Stone was released in 2005, directed by Thomas Bezucha. The full 103-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.