by Tim Gordon
One of the oldest tropes in cinema is the buddy comedy. From the screwball antics of It Happened One Night to the mismatched duos of the 1980s (48 Hrs., Planes, Trains & Automobiles) and the raunchy road trips of the 2000s (Superbad, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), the formula has endured because it thrives on chaos, chemistry, and discovery.
Bobby Farrelly’s Driver’s Ed leans into that tradition, though this time the comedy is softer around the edges, replacing outrageous gags with a more wholesome coming-of-age energy.
The film follows Jeremy (Sam Nivola), a lovelorn high schooler on the verge of heartbreak. Convinced he’s losing his college-freshman girlfriend, Samantha (Lilah Pate), he hatches a desperate plan: hijack his Driver’s Ed car and surprise her at school. Along for the ride are his classmates Evie (Sophie Telegadis), Aparna (Mohana Krishnan), and Yoshi (Aidan Laprete), each bringing their own quirks, anxieties, and banter to the road trip. As they race toward their goal, the group finds themselves dodging school officials, life lessons, and the occasional mishap that tests both their patience and their friendships.
The cast is uniformly charming. Nivola captures Jeremy’s blend of awkwardness and earnestness, making him sympathetic even when his decisions are reckless. Telegadis and Krishnan spark as his skeptical companions, providing sharp comic timing and grounded energy. Laprete plays Yoshi as the straight man of the group, his calm logic hilariously bouncing off Jeremy’s impulsive antics. The adult ensemble adds seasoned texture: Molly Shannon as a frazzled parent, Alyssa Milano in a brief but steady role, and most notably Kumail Nanjiani as Mr. Rivers, the beleaguered instructor. Nanjiani’s dry wit and exasperated reactions provide some of the film’s best laughs, his every sigh and side-eye grounding the otherwise lightweight chaos.
Farrelly, flying solo without his brother Peter, dials down the gross-out antics that defined the There’s Something About Mary era. Instead, he opts for a gentler approach, leaning on sweetness, nostalgia, and broad relatability. It’s a choice that makes Driver’s Ed accessible for a wide audience, but it also leaves the film without the bold comic edge that made the Farrellys’ early work memorable. The tone skews closer to License to Drive (1988) than Dumb and Dumber, but without enough originality to stand shoulder to shoulder with either.
The road-trip narrative hits its expected beats: car troubles, interpersonal squabbles, and moments of bonding, but it doesn’t bring much new to the table. The middle stretch drags, circling familiar territory without deepening the characters’ arcs. By the time Jeremy learns his inevitable “lesson about love and priorities,” the film feels more like a collection of pleasant detours than a fully satisfying journey.
That said, there’s an undeniable charm in watching this ensemble bounce off each other, and Farrelly proves he can stage warmth as effectively as slapstick. The result is a breezy, feel-good teen comedy that entertains in the moment, even if it evaporates quickly once the credits roll.
Grade: C
