A teenager with a talent for trouble. A retirement home. A grumpy old resident with a habit of escaping. You can probably sketch the outline of Seniors before the opening credits have finished, and Lance Clark’s film knows it.
What lifts this gentle, faith-friendly comedy-drama above the formula is the pairing at its heart. John Rhys-Davies, gruff and twinkling, and Paris Brosnan, making a confident leading debut, build a friendship that feels earned, and the result is the kind of modest, big-hearted film that sneaks up on you.
Seniors proves that a familiar story can still feel new when the friendship at its centre rings true.
Movie at a Glance
- US cinemas: 23 October 2026 (limited)
- UK release: No UK cinema or streaming date has been announced yet
- Distributor: Collide Distribution
- Director: Lance Clark
- Screenplay: Erica Leigh Dick
- Starring: John Rhys-Davies, Paris Brosnan, Sophia Echendu, Bethany Anne Lind and Eric Mendenhall
- Genre: Intergenerational comedy-drama
Viewer Match
- Best for: Families with older children, fans of feel-good odd-couple stories and anyone who loves John Rhys-Davies.
- Maybe skip if: You want edge, irony or polish; this is earnest and proudly modest.
- Mood and pace: Warm, gently funny and steadily paced, with an emotional final stretch.
- Cinema or streaming? A cosy home watch is ideal; nothing here demands the big screen.
- Spoiler level: Spoiler-free: we stick to the premise.
Community Service, With Interest
Ori is a high-school senior with a good heart and poor judgement. One prank too many lands him with court-ordered community service at a local retirement home, where he is assigned to Albert, a cantankerous former writer and war veteran with a temper and a well-practised escape routine. They strike a deal: Albert will help Ori write the novel he needs for a college scholarship, and Ori will help Albert retrieve something buried on his family’s old farm.
Erica Leigh Dick’s screenplay uses that bargain as the engine for a story about mentorship, storytelling and keeping your word, and it is smarter than its set-up suggests. The scholarship deadline and the treasure hunt give the film momentum, while the friction between Ori’s ambitions and Albert’s expectations keeps the friendship from becoming too cosy.
Rhys-Davies and Brosnan
Rhys-Davies is a joy. He plays Albert as a man made bitter because nobody has bothered to listen for years, and he finds the comedy in that grumpiness without ever losing the sadness beneath it. It is a big, warm, generous performance from a screen veteran who clearly relishes the material.
Paris Brosnan is a genuine find. He gives Ori an appealing mix of swagger and vulnerability, especially in scenes involving his absent father, and the chemistry between the two leads is the film’s greatest asset. Sophia Echendu is a scene-stealer as Bonnie, the new girl in town, and Bethany Anne Lind brings quiet strength as Ori’s mother.
Small Town, Small Budget
Shot in Huntington, Indiana, with experienced professionals working alongside university film students, Seniors has an authentic small-town texture. Clark clearly knows and loves this place. The flip side is a production that occasionally looks and sounds its budget, with some technical rough edges and supporting performances that are hit and miss.
The film’s Christian values around forgiveness and confession are worn openly but not preachily, and its moral lessons arrive with enough humour to go down easily.
A Second Chance Worth Taking
Seniors will not surprise anyone with its destination, but it travels there with sincerity, wit and two performances that make you care. In a year of noisy blockbusters, there is something refreshing about a film this unashamedly kind.
Spoiler-Free Verdict
Seniors is a modest, heartfelt crowd-pleaser lifted by the lovely chemistry between John Rhys-Davies and Paris Brosnan, even if its technical limits and familiar shape keep it from greatness.
- Performances: 7.5/10
- Direction: 6/10
- Screenplay: 6.5/10
- Score: 6/10
- Cinematography: 5.5/10
- Entertainment Value: 7/10
- Overall score: 6.5/10
Star rating: 3/5
Verdict badge: Stream It
One-line verdict: A warm, gently funny odd-couple story that wins you over despite its rough edges.
Watch the Official Trailer
Meet Ori and Albert in the official trailer.
Who was the unlikely mentor who changed your life? Share your spoiler-free thoughts on Seniors.