• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
        • CR for Kids
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Shop
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
        • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • Kids
  • Radio/Podcasts
        • Catholic Review Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
        • In God’s Image
        • “In Charity and Truth” with Archbishop William E. Lori
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
This is the poster from the movie "72 Hours." The OSV News classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. (OSV News photo/Netflix)

Movie Review: ’72 Hours’

August 3, 2026
By John Mulderig
OSV News
Filed Under: Movie & Television Reviews

NEW YORK (OSV News) – Comedian Kevin Hart headlines the trashy fish-out-of-water comedy “72 Hours” (Netflix). Though intended to be warm and good-hearted at its core, the film is too encrusted in innumerable coarse elements to make this nucleus of niceness worth discovering.

Hart plays middle-aged advertising executive Joe. When Joe finds himself accidentally included on a group chat about a forthcoming weekend-long bachelor party in Miami, he initially ignores the mistake.

Yet, as it happens, the campaign Joe is currently crafting for a brand of vodka is being hobbled by his lack of insight into the lifestyles and habits of Gen Z. So it occurs to him that, if he could wrangle an invitation to the event, he could use it as an opportunity to gain insights about the 20-somethings who’ll be attending. 

Joe succeeds in doing this by basically bribing the quartet of booze- and sex-obsessed lads who make up the guest list. Along with groom-to-be Mason (Mason Gooding), the group includes Mason’s best friend since childhood, Nick (Marcello Hernández), as well as pals Hunter (Ben Marshall) and “Freshman” (Kam Patterson).

For no logical reason, Joe conceals his true motive from his new acquaintances and a series of implausible misunderstandings and misadventures ensue.

Director Tim Story’s movie affirms the importance of marital commitment and prioritizing family life and friendship. Thus, for example, Mason remains faithful to his fiancee and encourages Joe to move toward marriage with his live-in girlfriend, Jennifer (Teyana Taylor). Yet these otherwise respectable messages come wrapped in impenetrable layers of vulgar talk and humor.

The film contains comic mayhem, strong sexual content, including full male nudity and debased behavior played for laughs, cohabitation, drug use, scatological and gross-out humor, about a dozen profanities, several milder oaths, pervasive rough and crude language and occasional crass dialogue. The OSV News classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Read More Movie & Television Reviews

Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on the horizon

Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on the horizon

Movie Review: ‘The Odyssey’

Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on the horizon

Movie Review: ‘Moana’

Copyright © 2026 OSV News

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

John Mulderig

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Pope Leo on his ancestry, and how he’s a ‘pope who happens to be American’
  • Teens gather for AI conversation with Archbishop Lori
  • In Spain, diocese pledges emergency aid as death toll rises in enclave’s border crisis
  • Haiti’s cardinal and U.S. bishops lead Mass of Solidarity as Haitian immigrants face losing their TPS status
  • Pope Leo’s meeting with Patti Smith highlights rocker’s Church-adjacent artistry

| CURRENT EDITION |

| Vatican News |

Pope Leo’s meeting with Patti Smith highlights rocker’s Church-adjacent artistry

Pope Leo on his ancestry, and how he’s a ‘pope who happens to be American’

Pope Leo XIV to offer public Masses and audiences every week of August

Pope Leo XIV at Andrea Bocelli concert: Music’s beauty points us to God

Pope Leo to youth: Jesus doesn’t want you to be couch potatoes

| Catholic Review Radio |

| Movie & Television Reviews |

Movie Review: ’72 Hours’

Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on the horizon

Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on the horizon

Movie Review: ‘The Odyssey’

| En español |

La Arquidiócesis de Baltimore responde al creciente control de la inmigración

‘Presentes’: el arzobispo Lori ordena a 14 diáconos permanentes en una misa solemne y llena de alegría

La Renovación Carismática Hispana atrae al arzobispo Lori a la sesión de formación

Una fe que pasó de resistir a cambiar estructuras

Del mundo de la moda en New York a dirigir programas de liderazgo femenino

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Movie Review: ’72 Hours’
  • Court shields women religious from New York assisted suicide law
  • Two heroes: St. Ignatius and Spider-Man
  • Thwip! Faith lessons from Spider-Man
  • Pope Leo’s meeting with Patti Smith highlights rocker’s Church-adjacent artistry
  • Trump administration rule change could push asylum applicants directly to deportation proceedings
  • In Spain, diocese pledges emergency aid as death toll rises in enclave’s border crisis
  • Russian attack leaves 8 dead in Ukraine; suspected missile lands in Poland
  • Israeli strike damages Christian-run hospital in Gaza

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2026 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED