Home › Reviews › In Theaters › Indie darling Edward Burns steps back on the scene with the uneven “Finnegan’s Foursome”, a comedy about loss, family and moving on. [Tribeca]

Indie darling Edward Burns steps back on the scene with the uneven “Finnegan’s Foursome”, a comedy about loss, family and moving on. [Tribeca]

By Blak Cinephile on June 19, 2026 • ( 0 )

Returning to Tribeca Film Festival, indie darling filmmaker/actor Edward Burns (She’s the One) arrives with the golf-based comedy Finnegan’s Foursome, having its world premiere in the Spotlight Narrative section. Burns is no stranger to the Tribeca festival, his previous films including 2010’s Nice Guy Johnny and 2011’s $9k budget-driven Newlyweds, and is no doubt a representation of the fearless voices the festival aims to promote. However, as beloved as an independent filmmaker Burns is, Finnegan’s Foursome leaves quite a bit to be desired with its length, humor, and uneven tone.

A group of five men outdoors by a lake, with one man kneeling and pretending to aim a golf club, while the others watch and engage.

L-R: Stuart Graham as Declan, Ian McElhinney as Jack ‘The Professor, Brian d’Arcy James as Teddy Finnegan, Brian Muller as Frankie Finnegan, and Edward Burns as Freddy Finnegan in the comedy, drama film, FINNEGAN’S FOURSOME, a Republic Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

The film follows the Finnegans — brothers Freddy (Burns) and Teddy (Brian d’Arcy James); Freddy’s son, Frankie (Brian Muller), and Teddy’s daughter, Marie (Erica Hernández) — as they go on a golfing holiday in tribute to their deceased patriarch, Jack “The Professor” (Ian McElhinney). The family bickers, they roast, they hug, they throw loving insults, and hug some more. As the brothers wrestle with the bitter, cynical trauma instilled by their loving but competitive father, they soon realize what makes family important, even more important than golf itself.

Four people take a cheerful selfie on a golf course, surrounded by green hills and a distant body of water.

L-R: Brian Mulleras as Frankie Finnegan, Edward Burns as Freddy Finnegan, Brian d’Arcy James as Teddy Finnegan, and Erica Hernández as Marie Finnegan in the comedy, drama film, FINNEGAN’S FOURSOME, a Republic Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

Arriving just in time for Father’s Day, Finnegan’s Foursome has its heart in the right place but has a bit of an issue trying to get its humor up to the right spot. The dynamic between the four actors is undeniably engaging, the way their characters lovingly bicker with each other feels realized and relatable to any real family. Burns, himself, fits in as the cynical Freddy, the brother who always shoots from the hip and always overshoots his aim (literally — his main shtick is that he thinks he can play golf better than anyone in the foursome, but really, he’s average). Muller and Hernández play off each well as the bickering cousins Frankie and Marie, their constant insults and mean mugs reflecting typical sibling rivalries. But it’s James who serves as the film’s secret weapon as the optimistic Teddy. His loving memories of “The Professor” clashing with Freddy’s not-so-loving memories lead to some solid moments of depth. The film can find its footing when it settles into the golf sequences and the dynamics between the bickering family members. But the tug of joke, fight, reconcile, rinse and repeat can get old and tedious real fast. The film’s humor is a mixed bag. On one hand, it’s irreverently sweet (a joke to note is the hat the family wears while playing golf with the letters “FFG” meaning “Fuck this Fucking Game”). On the other hand, there are a few misses where punchlines don’t land and the film struggles between being profane and being innocently sweet and silly. Throughout most of its runtime, the film feels like an oxymoron — a cynical, profane Lifetime film.

Four golfers walking on a green course, with the ocean in the background on a sunny day.

L-R: Brian Muller as Frankie Finnegan, Erica Hernández as Marie Finnegan, Edward Burns as Freddy Finnegan, and Brian d’Arcy James as Teddy Finnegan in the comedy, drama film, FINNEGAN’S FOURSOME, a Republic Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures label).

Sharing the feeling of having a father that has passed that also loved the game of golf, there’s a lot in this film that hit hard with me. The theme of family sticking together in times of loss and finding a way to move forward resonates, even in 2026. For all of what doesn’t work in Burns’s film, there is an exciting, fun feel to the golf montages he presents as the Finnegans set out to play. When someone gets the ball in the hole, we smile; when someone misses the hole, we shake our heads with mutual disappointment and still smile. Clocking in at 121 minutes, Finnegan’s Foursome is longer than it needs to be; a silly, heartfelt comedy like this is easily worth 90 minutes. A lot of the scenes of the Finnegans traveling in certain places cherished by their patriarch could be cut as they just distract from the meat on the bone which are the funny, entertaining golf sequences. While not perfect, this film would probably serve better as an average safe-watch for Father’s Day.

Screened during Tribeca Film Festival 2026.
Available on VOD and digital June 19^th, 2026.

For more information, head to the official Tribeca Film Festival Finnegan’s Foursome webpage.

Final Score: 2.5 out of 5.