The Retirement Plan

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, The Retirement Plan is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and Stan, and in the US on Hulu right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 336 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Nicolas Cage sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Available now on Amazon Prime Video — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Retirement Plan is worth clearing space for. The Retirement Plan gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. When Ashley and her young daughter Sarah get caught up in a criminal enterprise that puts their lives at risk, she turns to the only person who can help: her estranged father Matt, currently living the life of a retired beach bum in the Cayman Islands. Their reunion is fleeting as they are soon tracked down on the island by crime boss Donnie and his lieutenant Bobo. As Ashley, Sarah, and Matt become entangled in an increasingly dangerous web, Ashley quickly learns her father had a secret past that she knew nothing about and that there is more to her father than meets the eye. Nicolas Cage and Ashley Greene lead a cast that never overplays a joke. It hit screens in 2023. What keeps The Retirement Plan from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

The Retirement Plan is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Nicolas Cage anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.