A breezy teen road comedy with some charm, a likable young cast, and a few solid laughs, but it leans predictable and never fully finds the comic spark or emotional urgency its premise promises.
13% ★☆☆☆☆ (10,086)
Driver's Ed
Where to watch: In Theaters
Movie · Comedy
2025 · 1h 42m · ★ 13% (10K)
Follow you heart... and the rules of the road.
Director: Bobby Farrelly
Starring: Sam Nivola, Sophie Telegadis, Mohana Krishnan
Overview
A group of teens hit the road in a stolen driver's ed car, racing against time to help a lovesick high school senior track down his college-freshman girlfriend and win her back.
Director
Bobby Farrelly
Production
AGC Studios, Jonas Pate, TFC Productions, BondIt Media Capital
Cast
Sam Nivola, Sophie Telegadis, Mohana Krishnan, Aidan Laprete, Kumail Nanjiani, Molly Shannon, Lilah Pate, Tim Baltz, Bri Giger, Marley Aliah, Alyssa Milano, Ella Stiller, Clayton Farris, Chelcie Lynn, Jesse Golliher, Travis Przybylski, J.C. Currais, Thomas S. Beck, Finn Harry, Connor Nielsen
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy teen road comedy with some charm, a likable young cast, and a few solid laughs, but it leans predictable and never fully finds the comic spark or emotional urgency its premise promises.
Best for
viewers who like light, low-stakes coming-of-age comedies
fans of road-trip hijinks and teen ensemble movies
people who enjoy warm, easygoing nostalgia more than sharp satire
Skip if
you want big laughs or raunchier Farrelly-style comedy
you need strong emotional depth or romantic chemistry
you’re tired of familiar teen-movie beats and predictable plotting
Overview
Driver’s Ed is the kind of teen comedy that goes down easy even when it doesn’t leave much behind. The setup has a built-in engine: a stolen driver’s ed car, a cross-country detour, and a lovesick mission that gives the whole thing a simple, propulsive shape. That looseness helps the movie feel breezy and approachable, and the young cast gives it enough energy to stay watchable.
Worth noting
What it lacks is bite. The humor is often described as tame, the story is familiar, and the emotional stakes never quite ignite. Still, there’s a pleasant warmth to the film, and it seems to understand the appeal of hanging out with a messy group of teens on a dumb mission that matters deeply to them.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for a polished crowd-pleaser, this may feel slight. If you’re open to a modest, amiable coming-of-age detour with a few good jokes and an easygoing tone, it can be a decent ride.
Top Letterboxd reviews
lani . 🦇 ݁˖ (3★) · 87 likes
clocked aparna IMMEDIATELY
Shreesh (3.5★) · 86 likes
This was a sweet coming of age rom-com. Fun characters, silly humor, cute moments, good performances and a satisfying climax made the ride a lot fun. Kumail was hilarious and the main teen gang were a blast. The film was predictable and not very emotional but the journey was breezy and chill, worth a shot. 2026 Ranked
huntwatch (3★) · 52 likes
TIFF50 Free Screening @ Princess of Wales Theatre. What looks to be feeling like a Disney Channel original movie, actually turns out to be kinda decent, though unfortunately don’t think it’s festival worthy. Driver’s Ed, a coming-of-age comedy about a scrawny white-boy taking a driver’s ed car all the way to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to get back with a girl. Humour, good, dialogue, eh, and performances also. Some good jokes here and there, as well as a little bit of
TIFF#19 If you're gonna take The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller and roll them up in a nostalgia pellet to show to Gen Z, you might want to figure out the charisma, charm and dynamics of those classics that made them so quotable and iconic. Less than a month later and I can't recall a single scene clearly or fondly.