UNCLE DREW
The Cross, forgiveness, and basketball bring people together.
Should You Watch It?
UNCLE DREW is a hilarious, nicely made basketball comedy with a strong Christian, moral worldview. The story moves along nicely, with plenty of jeopardy, laughs, and heartfelt moments. Its themes of forgiveness, love, teamwork, and saying you’re sorry give the comedy a redemptive heart.
The cost is significant content. The movie contains 20 obscenities and two profanities, including one use of “GD,” along with sexual jokes, implied sex, lewd dancing, and some nudity. A Christian baptism and positive statements about the Cross of Christ are meaningful, but they do not erase those concerns.
So, discerning adults can take the trip for the laughs and positive themes. Families with children or young teens should choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESDax has risked his life savings on winning the $100,000 Rucker Classic basketball tournament. When his leading player joins the rival team, Dax turns to Uncle Drew, an elderly legendary playground player with amazing skills.
Drew agrees to play only if Dax lets him choose the team. The two men travel around the country in Drew’s van, gathering a group of geriatric basketball players. Now they must face the “young-bloods” and prove they still belong on the court.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means UNCLE DREW is a highly entertaining comedy. The plotline and script are well done, and the story moves along nicely with plenty of jeopardy, laughs, and heartfelt moments to keep viewers captivated.
The acting is not exactly perfect, and the old-people’s makeup could have been perfected on the actors. Viewers will make allowances, though, because Uncle Drew and his teammates are played by real NBA stars rather than trained actors. Overall, it is hilarious, well plotted, and rather entertaining.
The Worldview
UNCLE DREW has a strong Christian, moral worldview about forgiveness, love, and working together as a family. It values saying you are sorry, mending relationships, loving each other, and teamwork.
A Christian pastor performs a baptism. Although the scene includes some comedy, the intent is not to mock Christianity in a contentious or mean manner. The pastor also says the Cross of Christ brings strength, giving the movie a clear positive statement about faith.
The movie’s redemptive themes are mitigated by foul language and some innuendo. Buddha statues appear in one scene because one character is a martial arts instructor. Even so, the film’s central emphasis on forgiveness and restored relationships aligns with Scripture: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong Christian, redemptive, moral worldview about forgiveness, saying you are sorry, mending relationships, loving each other, working together, and one character is a Christian pastor who performs a baptism and says the Cross gives people strength, mitigated by foul language and some innuendo, plus Buddha statues appear in one scene because one character is a martial arts instructor
Foul Language
20 obscenities and two profanities include one GD
Violence
Man hits another man in the face
Sex
Implied sex, sexual jokes, it’s implied that a couple lives together, and lewd dancing at a club
Nudity
Rear male nudity in one scene, woman and man in towel, and some upper male nudity
Alcohol Use
Light drinking
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Nothing else objectionable.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The movie emphasizes forgiveness and mending relationships. What does it look like to say you are sorry and seek restoration?
Ephesians 4:32 · Colossians 3:13A pastor says the Cross gives people strength. Where does Scripture say our strength comes from, and how is that different from relying only on ourselves?
1 Corinthians 1:18 · Philippians 4:13The basketball team must work together despite its members’ differences. What gifts has God given your family, and how can you use them to serve one another?
1 Corinthians 12:12–27 · Philippians 2:3–4The film includes a baptism. What does baptism represent for Christians?
Romans 6:3–4 · Galatians 3:27The Final Word
UNCLE DREW pairs broad comedy with heartfelt themes about forgiveness, love, teamwork, and faith. Its significant foul language and sexual content make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other family movie-night options, see.
