‘Bad Shabbos’ - movie review
Category: Movies
First of all, what is “Shabbos?” There are two pronunciations of this word. Shabbos is generally used by more religious people and older people. Shabbat is the modern Hebrew version of the word. Shabbos is the Sabbath, the day of rest. For Christians it is Sunday. For Jewish people it is from sunset Friday night to sunset Saturday night. The greeting when you meet someone on Friday or Saturday is “Good Shabbos” or “Shabbat Shalom.” The movie Bad Shabbos is a convoluted story about one family whose Shabbos goes terribly wrong.
On Shabbos (or Shabbat) families gather for a grand dinner and the weekly prayers. There is a prayer when lighting the candles which welcomes in the Sabbath, a prayer for the bread (Challah), and a prayer for the wine. Once these prayers are done the dinner begins.
Unfortunately, for one family their Shabbos doesn’t go as planned. Ellen and her husband Richard (Kyra Sedgwick and David Paymer) are expecting a full house this Shabbas. Their son Adam (Theo Taplitz) who lives with them, their daughter Abby and her boyfriend (Milani Vayntrub and Ashley Zukerman), their son David and his fiancé Meg (Jon Bass and Meghan Leathers), and for the first time Meg’s parents John and Beth (John Bedford Lloyd and Catherine Curtin). John and Beth are Catholic and eager to learn about the religion to which their daughter is converting.
Benjamin is not a great guy and Abby is preparing to dump him. He teases and taunts Adam continually. Adam has a little psychological problem and is unsure what to do with his life.
David is concerned Meg’s parents won’t enjoy the full Jewish traditional dinner, but they keep their hopes up. The doorman in the building, Jordan (Method Man) gives them encouragement when they arrive. He will play a bigger part in the family’s night than he ever dreamed of.
Prior to Meg’s parents arrival there is an accidental death in the apartment. This convoluted story of how Benjamin died has the whole family confused and wondering what to do. Whose fault is it?
While trying to figure out what to do with the body David asks Jordan for help. Soon Jordan is mixed up in this far-fetched family’s dilemma.
In the meantime, David is nervous about his future in-laws coming into this evening’s strange Shabbos. All he wanted was to have a pleasant family Shabbos and introduce his future in-laws to his family. But nothing goes as planned.
The family’s decision about what to do with the body also goes awry when John and Beth arrive before they can get the body out of the apartment. So, during the dinner everyone is on pins and needles and the usually fun-filled Shabbos is one disaster after another. Wine spills, bread is tossed around, people are on edge, and what should have been a nice evening is anything but.
This is a wild ride as the entire family tries to cover up a dead man, literally. A cute aspect is Jordan trying to come to their rescue.
Spoiler alert: everything eventually turns out OK for the entire group. Well, except for Benjamin. He’s dead, after all.
Bad Shabbas is a far-fetched comedy that been winning film festivals. This is a Jewish family but also a universal story of family and has appeal to everyone. It is not rated but is not suitable for young viewers.
The movie hits theaters in NYC and LA on May 23, 2025 and goes national June 6, 2025. Good Shabbos! Shabbat Shalom!
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
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