As far as cringe concepts go, catfishing is one of the worst things to have to watch someone do. But people love it, as evident by the eight seasons of MTV’s Catfish. So when you hear of a movie about catfishing, odds are good it will entertain some. But when you hear about a movie about a dad catfishing his son in order to get close to him…it feels a little too far.
That’s exactly the premise of I Love My Dad, the new film from Magnolia Pictures which recently debuted at SXSW. Patton Oswalt plays Chuck, a father who is growing estranged from his son, Franklin, played by James Morosini, who also penned the film, which is based on a true story (!) of fatherly deception. In order to get closer to Franklin, Chuck is inspired by a friend to pose as a different person online. You see where this is going, right?
As most people with social media can understand, some older generations can be a bit overbearing when it comes to using their phones. Of course, Franklin falls for this fake profile, and the web of lies becomes mighty tangled.
Here is the official plot synopsis:
Inspired by writer, director, and star James Morosini’s true life experience, I LOVE MY DAD follows Chuck (Patton Oswalt), a hopelessly estranged father who desperately wants to reconnect with his troubled son, Franklin (Morosini). Blocked on social media and concerned for his son’s life, Chuck impersonates a waitress online and starts checking in with Franklin. But things begin to spiral when Franklin falls for this imaginary girl (Claudia Sulewski) and wants nothing more than to meet her in person, as Chuck has inadvertently catfished his own son. A thrilling comedy with an unexpected twist, I LOVE MY DAD also stars Rachel Dratch, Lil Rel Howery, Amy Landecker and Ricky Velez.
Despite the “I need to close my eyes because this is so awkward” vibes from the trailer, the movie will likely be very entertaining, and a must-watch for any dads who are offended that they got blocked from their child’s Instagram. It happens!
I Love My Dad hits theaters on August 5th, then on demand on August 12th. Check out the trailer above.