World's Greatest Dad

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World's Greatest Dad

R

2009

1h 39m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

116 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When the son of high school English teacher Lance Clayton accidentally kills himself, Clayton writes a fake suicide note to evade scandal. At first uninterested in the death, the school is taken by the letter after it is published in the school paper. Hoping to claim the literary renown he has always wanted, Lance writes a diary, too. Fame and intrigue follow and Lance receives the attention he always wished for, but finds keeping his cool might be easier written than done.

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Critics Consensus

World's Greatest Dad is a risky, deadpan, dark comedy that effectively explores the nature of posthumous cults of celebrity.

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Anna Smith

metro.co.uk

Aug 24, 2018

4/5

The film's direction isn't always confident - there are baggy sections, and it's rarely deeply moving - but it is consistently funny.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Sep 29, 2010

4/5

Goldthwait has given it a title that will make some shy away. But don't. It's a comedy about the particularly American capacity to create legends out of the dead, and it's sharper than most.

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Robbie Collin

News of the World

Sep 29, 2010

5/5

Beware that poster, with its jolly red writing and Mork from Ork's face thereon. This is not the Robin Williams of Old Dogs and License To Wed.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sep 4, 2023

3.5/4

World’s Greatest Dad is more tender and heartfelt because of Williams’ performance. And when it’s all over, no matter how obscure the plot or demented the scenario, Goldthwait has constructed a welcomed little indie comedy of the unlikeliest kind.

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James McMahon

NME (New Musical Express)

May 20, 2021

4/5

I enjoyed this film a lot. I'd go as far as to say that this is best film I have ever seen about someone who masturbates themselves to death.

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

Oct 11, 2019

3/5

Not as out-and-out funny as it should be nor as emotionally poignant as it could be...

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Cinema S

@cinema_sensei Sep 27, 2026

Much darker and deeper than I expected. A strange mix of comedy, grief and satire, with Robin Williams giving a surprisingly restrained and emotional performance.

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Pee B

@RT80350238 Mar 30, 2026

Not for kids. This is a mature movie where a good dude is tempted with having many things he wanted if he just a) be dishonest and b) allow people to believe what they would like. So he tries the dishonesty while grieving the loss of his son by unsettling/kinky suicide. Not too many movies cheer me up more than this. I get a big smile , the kind an idiot has trouble wiping off their face, when I think of this movie.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Mar 19, 2026

It was a weird movie. I think I liked this one more then One Hour Photo. Man that kid was a terrible person in the beginning of the movie. The concept is very original and thought provoking which made the movie good in that sense. The satire is interesting, and as usual, Robin Williams gives a good performance. It's always a treat seeing a mostly kids movie actor be in something like this.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Dec 4, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 13, 2025

Funny in 1 hour and 39 minutes. In deep memory of our friend Robin Williams (1951-2014).

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Cory C

@RT28164066 Jun 26, 2025

Such a unique topic for a dark comedy, with some jokes that I was surprised were allowed in the movie. Nevertheless this movie is a good watch for Robin Williams alone.

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Bobcat Goldthwait

Director

Robin Williams

Lance Clayton

Alexie Gilmore

Claire

Daryl Sabara

Kyle

Tom Kenny

Jerry Klein

Lorraine Nicholson

Heather

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Synopsis

When the son of high school English teacher Lance Clayton accidentally kills himself, Clayton writes a fake suicide note to evade scandal. At first uninterested in the death, the school is taken by the letter after it is published in the school paper. Hoping to claim the literary renown he has always wanted, Lance writes a diary, too. Fame and intrigue follow and Lance receives the attention he always wished for, but finds keeping his cool might be easier written than done.

Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Producer: Tim Perell, Howard Gertler, Sean McKittrick, Richard Kelly
Screenwriter: Bobcat Goldthwait
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Magnolia Pictures, Darko Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Crude and Sexual Content|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 21, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 9, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $221.2K
Runtime: 1h 39m

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