Bobby Farrelly’s third solo feature, Driver’s Ed, is a coming-of-age road trip comedy about a teen who’ll do anything to win his girlfriend back.

High school senior Jeremy (Sam Nivola) and his girlfriend Samantha (Lilah Pate) plan to keep their relationship alive despite her starting college in a new city. But when Jeremy receives a late-night, alcohol-fueled phone call, he fears that Samantha may have ended things. Acting on impulse, he steals Mr. Rivers’ (Kumail Nanjiani) driver’s ed car, already containing three classmates: Yoshi (Aidan LaPrete), the school’s resident drug dealer; Aparna (Mohana Krishnan), the ambitious valedictorian; and Evie (Sophie Telegadis), an artistic skeptic of love. Their mission: reach Chapel Hill and win Samantha back. What begins as a frantic attempt at romance quickly turns into a chaotic adventure that tests loyalty, courage, and the limits of teenage recklessness.

Over the next twenty-four hours, Jeremy and his companions face an escalating series of challenges. Officer Walsh (Tim Baltz) from the school and state trooper Officer Lee (Bri Giger) pursue them, while small-time criminals add more danger to their journey. Along the way, the group adopts a three-legged cat and begins to discover truths about themselves and one another that leave lasting impressions. Part road trip comedy, part coming-of-age story, the film explores the turbulence of young love, the unexpected bonds formed in crisis, and the personal growth that emerges from experiences no one saw coming. It’s a story of adolescence that’s both heartfelt and unpredictable.

Jeremy wants to be a filmmaker, but after getting caught sexting in class, he winds up in Principal Fisher’s (Molly Shannon) office. She does the obligatory scolding—though her heart clearly isn’t in it. When Jeremy later steals the car, Fisher wastes no time setting school security on his trail. Officer Walsh, eager to rejoin the state police, sees this as his ticket back, teaming up with Officer Lee in hopes of bringing the kids home.

While the teens take center stage, Driver’s Ed boasts a strong lineup of comic veterans. Shannon, Nanjiani, and Baltz are all reliably funny, but Nanjiani in particular shines—his gift for wringing laughs from the simplest lines elevates the material every time he’s on screen. Baltz, too, is a standout. Often a supporting player, one wishes he had opportunities to take on leading roles in future projects.

They don’t make high school comedies like they used to. The genre’s golden age produced The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High—films that balanced comedy with genuine pathos. Screenwriter Thomas Moffett taps into that same spirit with Driver’s Ed. The script could almost play in the 1980s, and its brisk runtime of just over ninety minutes keeps the laughs coming without overstaying its welcome.

In the wake of the pandemic, I’ve been craving comedies meant for the big screen. Maybe not on an IMAX screen as the film was not formatted for IMAX. Laughter in a theater is contagious, and Driver’s Ed delivers. Jeremy’s misguided quest is funny on its own, but what gives the film heart is how he interacts with the mismatched trio in the backseat. A quiet sequence with Jeremy and Evie walking to a gas station after their car runs dry offers some of the film’s best character work, highlighting the growth beneath the hijinks.

Audiences expecting Bobby Farrelly to replicate the anything-goes antics of There’s Something About Mary or Dumb and Dumber should temper their expectations. While Driver’s Ed still finds room for outrageous set pieces—after all, it is about a teenager who steals a car with classmates inside—it’s ultimately a more grounded coming-of-age story. Would it slot alongside his earlier work? Maybe, maybe not, but it shows Farrelly’s range.

Years ago, a Farrelly brothers comedy would have seemed out of place at Toronto. Peter’s Green Book debuted there in 2018, and now Bobby’s third solo feature, Driver’s Ed, makes its mark. Aside from both involving road trips, the films couldn’t be further apart.

In many ways, Driver’s Ed feels like a throwback to the comedies of the ’80s, when films could be silly and heartfelt in equal measure. Farrelly taps into that tradition without making it feel dated, and the result is a breezy, big-screen comedy that delivers exactly what you want: laughs, chaos, and just enough heart to stick with you afterward.

DIRECTOR: Bobby Farrelly
SCREENWRITER: Thomas Moffett
CAST: Sam Nivola, Sophie Telegadis, Mohana Krishnan, Aidan Laprete, Molly Shannon, Kumail Nanjiani

Driver’s Ed holds its North American premiere during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the Gala Presentations program. Grade: 4/5

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