Have you ever been watching Meet the Parents and thought to yourself, this would be better if it was more like The Exorcist? If that’s you, then the new horror comedy The Parenting is for you. The film is about a weekend at a remote house designed to allow two families to get to know each other. But a demon makes his presence felt, causing plays to go awry.

We meet Josh (Brandon Flynn) and Rohan (Nik Dodani) who are in a committed relationship. They’ve arranged for their parents to join them at a remote location for the weekend. It’s a chance for their families to meet and, hopefully, make a connection. Turns out, Rohan has big plans to move his relationship with Josh forward provided things go well.

Rohan’s parents arrive first. Sharon (Edie Falco) and Frank (Brian Cox) are more reserved, and neither takes to Josh right away. Next comes Josh’s parents, Liddy (Lisa Kudrow) and Cliff (Dean Norris), who are warmer, and love Rohan.

After a tense few early interactions, Josh reaches out to their friend Sara (Vivian Bang), who makes her way to the location to help act as a buffer. With all of them gathered, a furious snowstorm descends, trapping them in the house. And then things go really off the rails.

Josh and Rohan begin to suspect something supernatural is occurring. They make their way next door, where the caretaker Brenda (Parker Posey) isn’t exactly helpful. Can Josh and Rohan make a plan to save the weekend, their parents, and their future together?

This film comes from writer Kent Sublette, who has been on the Saturday Night Live team. That comedic aspect certainly comes into play here, and part of what makes it work is the awkward situation for these characters and some actors who feel like they’re playing against type.

The set up here is simple and works well. The story doesn’t wear out its welcome in a 95-minute run time. Director Craig Johnson, who is used to working on comedy projects, does a nice job putting it all together. It moves at a good pace with some fun sequences.

There are also some fun performances. The standouts here are Cox and Posey. Cox has some wild sequences that really work in unexpected ways because of his delivery. Posey, who is known for some wild character creations, makes another one here. Particularly in the third act, I really enjoyed her work.

Overall, this is a fun premise that’s executed well enough. It’s not incredible, but it’s entertaining and a nice streaming option for the weekend.

The Parenting is streaming now on Max.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.