The Adam Project is that perfectly serviceable Netflix movie you put on for family movie night and everyone has a decent time without anyone getting too worked up about it. It's got heart, decent action, and Ryan Reynolds doing his thing without the R-rated edge.
The father-son grief stuff is genuinely touching and could spark good conversations with tweens navigating big feelings. The time-travel premise is fun enough, even if it doesn't reinvent the wheel. It's not going to blow anyone's mind—the Letterboxd 2.9 and Metacritic 55 tell you it's solidly middle-of-the-road—but it's also not trying to be Inception.
For families with kids 11+, it hits a sweet spot: exciting enough to keep attention, emotional enough to feel meaningful, but light enough that you're not dealing with nightmares or tough questions about graphic violence. Just know that the parental death theme runs throughout, so if your kid is sensitive about loss, maybe save this one for later.
Bottom line: It's fine. It's fun. It'll entertain your middle schooler on a rainy Saturday and maybe even get them thinking about who they want to become. That's a win in the Netflix movie lottery.





