Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Yes Day’ Brings Much Needed Joy

REVIEW: ‘Yes Day’ Brings Much Needed Joy

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez03/11/20215 Mins ReadUpdated:03/11/2021
Yes Day
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Yes Day

I’ve been looking for a heartwarming film that just brings joy to watch right now. Netflix has an answer to my search with its newest original film: Yes Day. The film is directed by Miguel Arteta and adapted to the screen by Justin Malen from Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld‘s book of the same name. In truth, it’s been a while since we’ve gotten a family comedy centered around parents being parents, kids being kids, and touching on the complexities that come with them. The film stars Jennifer Garner and Edgar Ramírez as parents Allison and Carlos Torres, with Jenna Ortega, Julian Lerner, Everly Carganilla, playing their children Katie, Nando, and Kellie, respectively.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

In the film, Allison and Carlos were an adventurous couple that said yes to exploring the world and having fun. But, all that changed with kids. Needing to instill structure in their children’s lives, the two have hit the point where they always feel like they have to say “no” to their kids. While this falls harder on Allison, the designated disciplinarian of the family, Carlos’s daytime job of saying “no’ as a lawyer has left him desperate to win his kids’ love and attention—while also making Allison the bad guy.

Now, this dynamic may feel played out, but it’s one I know all too well. My mom took on the role of the “no” parent, and my dad was the one I knew I could receive a “yes” from. And that dynamic stayed well into my adulthood. That said, in Yes Day, the family says “yes” to everything for 24-hours and grows from it.  Carlos understands Allison. Allison understands her kids, and most importantly, the kids learn a lesson on why sometimes you need to say “no.”

The idea of giving their kids a Yes Day comes after a parent-teacher conference when Allison and Carlos realize that their kids are very publically talking about how they don’t let them do anything. The two shrug off the idea until Katie, the pair’s eldest daughter, challenges Allison. After that, the bulk of Yes Day is an adventure through Los Angeles to complete five large tasks that the children have decided on beforehand. With some restrictions, the family takes off on wholesome moments that bring them closer together and embraces the fun. From gigantic ice cream bowls and absurd outfits to a giant water balloon fight, the family bonds easily. They begin to relax around each other, and it’s clear that giving in to the “yes” is healthy.

Well, that is until the third act, when the obligatory lessons come into play. Even while that may sound like Yes Day takes a tonal turn to the boring, it doesn’t. The way that Yes Day drives home a simple “kids, listen to your parents” and “parents, listen to your kids” message is well-executed and is kept vibrant enough to match the rest of the film’s tone. In fact, the film’s ability to adapt a picture book into a cohesive story while not feeling too hamfisted should be commended.

Additionally, the aspect of seeing a mixed Latinx family on-screen without providing cultural stereotypes or overt commentary on identity was something I didn’t realize that I needed. Often, Latinx families are put into positions where they have to deal with trauma like in series like On My Block or the remake of Party of Five—the former focused on life in a gang area, and the latter focussed on children surviving after their parents are deported. While both those series represent an axis of Latinx identity, for once, it’s heartening to see a film showcase a family just being family without all of the trauma that so many non-Latinx define us against.

Yes Day

Plus, to top it all off, the chemistry among the cast is phenomenal. Garner embodies the tough mom so well, and Ramírez plays a docile dad perfectly. The two together are wonderful, playing off of each other’s energy and landing well-timed physical and dialogue-based comedy. But the family is rounded out by the children. While the three young actors hold their own, the most compelling scenes are when the parents get to be one on one with them. The most heartwarming moment that made me think of time with my own dad was in the film’s opening when Carlos drives Ellie to school. The two sing to the radio loudly and in a coordinated fashion that brings out an adorable father-daughter bond.

My one issue with Yes Day is that some of the ways Spanish is worked into the film don’t land well. While Carlos or Katie says small Spanish lines that land, Allison’s more robust lines feel forced. And while that could be because Garner isn’t Latina, which isn’t trying to be in the film, it hits me differently given that I come from a family that spoke Spanglish with one parent never using it at all because he couldn’t speak it.  That said, it’s a small element to a charming movie.

In the end, Yes Day gets a big yes from me. It’s wholesome, joyous, and hits the spot in a pretty dark world. With many more book adaptations slated from Netflix, I hope they all meet this adorable standard.

Yes Day is available exclusively on Netflix on March 12, 2021.

Yes Day
  • 7.5/10
    Rating - 7.5/10
7.5/10

TL;DR

In the end, Yes Day gets a big yes from me. It’s wholesome, joyous, and hits the spot in a pretty dark world. With many more book adaptations slated from Netflix, I hope they all meet this adorable standard.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘The Emperor and I,’ Volume 1
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Bombay Rose’ is Unique, if a Little Forgettable
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

09/11/2025
Natasha O’Keeffe in Whitetail
6.5

TIFF 2025: ‘Whitetail’ Is An Intimate View Of A Woman Stuck In Time

09/10/2025
Love Brooklyn
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Love, Brooklyn’ Rests on Pretty

09/10/2025
Park Jeong-min in The Ugly
7.0

TIFF 2025: ‘The Ugly’ Is A Harsh Exercise In Self-Reflection

09/09/2025
No Other Choice
9.0

TIFF 2025: ‘No Other Choice’ Delivers a Bleak Vision of Capitalism

09/09/2025
Molly Lewis in Whistle
8.0

TIFF 2025: ‘Whistle’ Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

09/07/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Gojo Jujutsu Kaisen - But Why Tho (2) Features

Everything To Know About Satoru Gojo

By Kate Sánchez09/07/2023Updated:02/16/2025

Satoru Gojo is the heart of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 — now, heading into Cour 2, here is everything you need to know about the character.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here