Four seniors. One stolen driver’s ed car. No cell phones. Sounds like a coming-of-age comedy straight out of the ‘70s or ‘80s, or a really weird twist on The Blues Brothers. Bobby Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary) directs Driver’s Ed, an homage to teen road trip comedies of the past. The ‘70s-inspired vibe gives the R-rated comedy its base, while Thomas Moffett’s script paves a new route into the well-traveled subgenre.
Driver’s Ed opens with Jeremy (The White Lotus‘ Sam Nivola, convincing as the lovesick lead) landing in the office of Principal Lucy Fisher after being called out over embarrassing texts in his French class. Played with manic, way too hyped-up energy by SNL’s Molly Shannon, Principal Fisher is one tiny step away from a professional breakdown. Fisher has a potty mouth and no time for Jeremy’s shenanigans, handing down a week’s detention.
Jeremy’s day continues its downward spiral when his girlfriend, Samantha, calls from her dorm at Chapel Hill, drunk and delivering a near-death blow to their relationship by suggesting things will never be the same. He’s still obsessing over the call when he shows up for a driver’s ed class taught by Mr. Rivers (Kumail Nanjiani, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), a substitute with two arm casts and a surprisingly zen outlook on life.
A cryptic text from Samantha sends Jeremy over the edge. He makes the incredibly rash decision to “borrow” the driver’s ed car and head to Chapel Hill. Reluctantly joining him on his impulsive, desperate mission are his driver’s ed classmates: the high-strung, scholarship-chasing Aparna (Mohana Krishnan, It Lives Inside); the coolly observant Evie (Sophie Telegadis, One Stupid Thing); and Yoshi (Aidan Laprete, Swiped), the school’s mellow resident drug dealer.
Driver’s Ed’s comedy revs up when the foursome accidentally toss their phones into a river. It’s a smart narrative choice, as it strips away the digital safety net, forcing the foursome into a world of paper maps and actual conversations. What begins as a desperate mission to save a failing long-distance relationship shifts gears into a hilarious exploration of identity, love, loss, and the unexpected bonds formed in the confinement of a stolen car.
The four leads have decent chemistry, and their arcs feel (relatively) authentic for this sort of wild, occasionally raunchy, mostly heartwarming coming-of-age comedy. Moffett’s screenplay has enough originality to forgive the few Hollywood tropes it employs. Whether it’s Yoshi opening up about a traumatic loss or Aparna finding the courage to be her true self, the character arcs are grounded in authentic emotion.
The supporting cast of adults adds a layer of hyper-realistic humor, with Nanjiani and Shannon sharing an eccentric subplot as they bond over the mess Jeremy causes by stealing a driver’s ed car. The inclusion of a three-legged cat and a therapy-dog-owning lesbian love interest keeps the journey unpredictable. And even a bizarre detour involving fur coats and a shootout at a restaurant manages to serve the story, acting as a catalyst for Jeremy and Evie to realize their own love connection.
What started as a road trip to rescue Jeremy’s relationship moves beyond that and into a more mature examination of letting go. The ultimate resolution, though predictable, is satisfyingly chaotic. Despite all the strange circumstances the foursome encounters along the way, Farrelly and Moffett wisely recognize that the real heart of the story remains in the car.
Driver’s Ed treats its characters like real teenagers and not just stereotypes that lend themselves to easy punchlines. It’s sweet, surprisingly deep, and serves as a reminder that sometimes you have to get a little lost to find out where you’re actually going.
GRADE: B
Rating: R for sexual references, alcohol use, language throughout, brief graphic nudity, and teen drinking
Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes
Release Date: May 15, 2026
Distributor: Vertical
This post was last modified on May 14, 2026 11:18 am