[4] The film tells the story of a mild-mannered stepfather (Will Ferrell) who vies for the attention of his wife's (Linda Cardellini) children when their biological father (Mark Wahlberg) returns.

It received praise for the performances and chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg but faced criticism for its lack of funny ideas and not fully exploring the premise.

Mild-mannered radio executive Brad Whitaker tries hard to be a good Stepfather to his wife Sara's children, Megan and Dylan, and is seemingly sterile after an accident to his testicles a couple of years ago.

One night, however, Dusty Mayron, Sara's ex-husband and the kids' biological father, calls to announce he will be visiting the next day.

Sara hesitates to let him into their home, but Brad convinces her it is important for the kids to see him and Dusty establish a respectful relationship.

When Dusty arrives, he immediately intimidates Brad with his tough and muscular appearance and his charm with Megan and Dylan.

Additionally, the couple is overjoyed to learn that Brad's sperm count has recovered, giving them hope of having a child together.

Desperate, Brad spends tens of thousands of dollars on gifts, including a pony for Megan, and $18,000 tickets to an NBA game for Dylan.

At the game, Dusty once again shows Brad up by revealing himself to be friends with the strength and conditioning coach of Dylan's favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

They almost fight the father of one of them when Dylan physically retaliates, as Brad and Dusty taught him to do, who had assumed the bullies were boys.

In an ironic twist of fate, he is now in exactly the same position that he put Brad in a year ago – visibly intimidated by Adrianna's more muscular father, Roger.

[14] On January 21, 2015, a scene was shot during a New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers game where Ferrell smashed a cheerleader (played by stuntwoman/wrestler Taryn Terrell) in the face with a basketball.

[22] In the United States and Canada, the film opened on December 25, 2015 alongside Point Break, Joy, Concussion, and the wide release of The Big Short.

It was the second biggest non-animated opening of Ferrell's career, behind Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ($47 million).

The site's critical consensus reads, "Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg have proven comedic chemistry, but Daddy's Home suffers from a dearth of genuinely funny ideas – and lacks enough guts or imagination to explore the satirical possibilities of its premise.