“Call Me Dad” is not the polished, warm-fuzzy family drama its title might trick you into expecting. It’s rough, chaotic, oddly touching, and occasionally ridiculous — but in a way that keeps you watching, even when you’re rolling your eyes at the characters’ terrible decisions. The premise alone feels like someone dared the writers to create a heartwarming story out of an ethically questionable situation: a child left as collateral, and two debt collectors suddenly forced to act like responsible adults. It sounds wild, and honestly, the movie leans into that wildness with surprising confidence.
The two loan sharks, played by Ringgo Agus Rahman and Boris Bokir Manullang, are delightfully unprepared for anything resembling parenthood. They bring the energy of two men who once googled “how to boil water” and still got it wrong. Their dynamic, though chaotic, forms the emotional core of the film. One tries to be stern, the other tries to be cool, and both fail in ways that are somehow endearing. They bicker, panic, and blunder through basic responsibilities, but underneath all the nonsense, there’s a slow shift toward actual care. It’s not graceful, but it feels honest.
The girl at the center of it all, played by Myesha Lin, gives the movie its emotional weight. She’s not written as a one-note tragic figure or a magical child who instantly transforms her guardians. Instead, she reacts like a regular kid thrown into an absurd situation — wary, sarcastic, and occasionally hopeful. Her presence grounds the story, pulling the two men out of their immature comfort zones and into something resembling adulthood, even if it’s the clumsy, trial-and-error version.
The film’s emotional moments land best when they’re understated. Small gestures — a shared meal, a quiet car ride, a protective argument — speak louder than the occasional big dramatic scenes that try too hard. There are genuine, awkward, tender beats where it’s clear these three are trying to figure out what it means to belong somewhere. The messy, unspoken affection between them carries the story more effectively than any dialogue about “doing the right thing.”
Humor is one of the movie’s stronger tools. When it hits, it really hits — especially the scenes where the loan sharks attempt basic parenting tasks with the competence level of two malfunctioning robots. Watching them try to navigate school rules, discipline strategies, or even grocery shopping is almost therapeutic if you enjoy witnessing adults fail harmlessly. But not every joke lands. Sometimes the humor pushes a little too hard or sticks around longer than it should, interrupting the emotional rhythm.
Tonally, the movie wobbles. It tries to juggle gritty reality, dark humor, and heartfelt family moments, and while it pulls this off most of the time, there are scenes where the shift feels abrupt. A heartfelt conversation may be followed by an unnecessary comedic beat; a heavy moment might transition into a subplot that doesn’t add much. These interruptions occasionally dilute the emotional tension the film works to build.
Visually, the movie leans into realism with muted color palettes and cramped, lived-in spaces. It doesn’t glamorize the characters’ environment. Instead, it shows the rawness of their lives, which gives their small victories a stronger impact. The direction is functional rather than flashy, keeping the focus on interactions rather than big cinematic flourishes. It suits the story, even if a few scenes could have benefited from tighter editing or clearer emphasis.
Some narrative shortcuts hold the film back. A few character decisions come together too conveniently, as if the script remembered at the last minute that it needed to move the story along. Certain subplots appear briefly and vanish without payoff, leaving loose ends that feel like missed opportunities. And occasionally, the movie rushes through emotional arcs that deserved more time.
Still, for all its flaws, “Call Me Dad” works because it doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. It doesn’t magically fix broken people or neatly resolve the messy circumstances that brought them together. Instead, it shows what it looks like when three unlikely individuals try—awkwardly, stubbornly, sometimes hilariously—to build something resembling family. That attempt, imperfect as it is, becomes the film’s most compelling element.
By the end, nothing is wrapped in a neat bow. Problems still exist, consequences still loom, and none of the characters suddenly become wise, healed versions of themselves. But there’s hope. A small, believable kind of hope that feels earned rather than manufactured. And that alone makes the journey worth it.
“Call Me Dad” isn’t the smoothest or most refined movie out there, but it has heart, personality, and a willingness to embrace its own weirdness. I laughed, winced, and occasionally muttered “Why are you like this?” at the characters — and yet, I cared. If you’re looking for a tidy moral lesson, this movie won’t give it to you. But if you want a messy, flawed, unexpectedly touching story about people figuring out how to care for each other, it’s absolutely worth the watch.
Final Score - [6/10]
Reviewed by - Anjali Sharma
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Publisher at Midgard Times