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Bringing Down the House

Bringing Down the House

Everything he needed to know about life, she learned in prison.

2003105 minPG-13Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Director
Adam Shankman
Starring
Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, Eugene Levy, Joan Plowright

Uptight lawyer Peter Sanderson wants to dive back into dating after his divorce and has a hard time meeting the right women. He tries online dating and lucks out when he starts chatting with a fellow lawyer. The two agree to meet in the flesh, but the woman he meets — an escaped African-American convict named Charlene — is not what he expected. Peter is freaked out, but Charlene tries to convince him to take her case and prove her innocence. Along the way, she wreaks havoc on his middle-class life as he gets a lesson in learning to lighten up.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Bringing Down the House?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Bringing Down the House to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Bringing Down the House?

Bringing Down the House earns 5 badges, led by Box Office Hit and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Bringing Down the House worth watching?

Bringing Down the House's Midcredits score is the 31st percentile of all films, from 72K ratings across 6 sources. 36% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

31st percentile

Better received than 31% of films

34th percentile among Comedy31st percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)32nd
Approval (how many liked it)32nd

56 /100

32nd percentile of all films

34th percentile among Comedy32nd percentile among 2000s

Critics 39 · Audience 58

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.9 — solid but not unanimous.

36% liked it

32nd percentile of all films

34th percentile among Comedy29th percentile among 2000s
36% rated it 7–1064% rated it 1–6

Critics 33% · Audience 49%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 13 noms overall

94th percentile

72K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Comedy90th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$33M
Opening weekend$31M
Domestic gross$133M
Worldwide gross$165M

Returned 5.0× its budget — 97th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps acknowledge the film is a predictable culture-clash comedy with a silly plot that relies on broad stereotypes.

Fans praised

  • chemistry between Martin and Latifah
  • supporting performances by Eugene Levy and Joan Plowright
  • genuinely funny set pieces like the hip hop club scene

Detractors panned

  • offensive racial stereotypes and outdated jokes
  • unbelievable plot and thin story
  • obnoxious lead character (Charlene) and forced chemistry

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

Martin and Latifah have comic timing and chemistry; detractors find them forced

HumorDivisive60

broad slapstick and set pieces work for fans; detractors find them unfunny and offensive

DialogueDivisive55

some witty one-liners but often relies on stereotypes

PacingDivisive50

some drag, but energetic comic scenes keep momentum

CharactersDivisive35

cliched contrasting types, Charlene is loud but others are stock

Plot and storyDivisive25

predictable, formulaic, full of contrivances

Originality20

rehashed upper-class/streetwise clash

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 10 points higher than men.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Bringing Down the House like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something light that makes you laugh and does not take itself seriously.

It never lets up and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
AbsurdWarm
Heaviest: middle
Warm humor
Register
PlayfulWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.Sentimental · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its far-fetched premise and cultural clashes at a knowing, ironic distance, winking at the audience through slapstick and exaggerated stereotypes while still landing its warm-hearted moments.
The rideThe middle section likely contains the most chaotic and comedic set-pieces, while the overall mood is light and earnestly funny.
StructureThe story follows a conventional setup, complication, and resolution, moving from Peter's initial shock to a series of escalating comic and dangerous incidents, ending with reconciliation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

Feel-goodFun
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you smiling and uplifted, with the sense that even a mismatched pair can positively change each other's lives, all wrapped in lighthearted comedy.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% (this title) · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Liberation: Breaking free of a confining life (Room).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Comedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypePeter's uptight life is disrupted by Charlene, and he slowly loosens up and reconnects with his family and ex-wife, a liberation from his confining routine. The comedy arises from the culture clash and mistaken identity of the online date.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSelf-worth
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Self-worth · 7% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the protagonist's desire to be taken seriously and respected in his professional and personal life, while also exploring loyalty between unlikely allies.
StanceThe film celebrates the value of self-worth and finding unexpected friendship, while the stakes remain personal and domestic.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernPopSupportive music · hybrid · Lalo Schifrin
SettingA gated suburban community in Los Angeles, with occasional scenes in prison and a courthouse.
MusicLalo Schifrin's score likely provides a playful, jazzy backdrop to the comedic chaos, complemented by a pop soundtrack.

Content guide

Is Bringing Down the House okay for kids?

PG-13

Bringing Down the House is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for language, sexual humor and drug material” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at moderate (38/100), language at moderate (56/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (50/100) and frightening material at minimal (11/100). Its frightening material has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 49% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 13 other countries
  • UK12
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany6
  • Ireland15
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • Austria6
  • CzechiaU
  • Greece13
  • Hungary16
  • Poland16
  • SK12
  • Switzerland6
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 31% of all filmsHeavier than 49% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 28%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 70%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 82%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 91%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (9 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 82% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Bringing Down the House have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Bringing Down the House?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Steve Martin
as Peter Sanderson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Queen Latifah
as Charlene Morton
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Eugene Levy
as Howie Rottman
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Joan Plowright
as Mrs. Arness
Jean Smart
as Kate
Kimberly J. Brown
as Sarah Sanderson
Angus T. Jones
as Georgey Sanderson
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Missi Pyle
as Ashley
Michael Rosenbaum
as Todd Gendler
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Betty White
as Mrs. Kline

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Bringing Down the House?

Movies like Bringing Down the House include Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), Daddy's Home (2015) and The Shaggy Dog (2006). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set in prison, and most are films that feel absurd.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its subject: self-worth. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Bringing Down the House?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: lawyer. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.