The film chronicles the experience of a gay Swedish couple, Sven (Torkel Petersson) and Göran Skoogh (Gustaf Skarsgård) as they move into a new suburban neighborhood and adopt a child, beginning with their welcoming party.

When their new son Patrik (Tom Ljungman) arrives, they are shocked to find him a troubled teenager with a criminal background.

After several weeks, the agency notifies Göran that a family has been found for Patrik, who by this time has gotten past his initial fear and contempt for his surrogate parents.

Patrik, Age 1.5 is technically based on a stage production; however, director Ella Lemhagen didn't like the script of the play all that much, and decided to just use the film's pitch and to build up a new story from scratch.

[5] Jeanette Causulis from The New York Times said in her review that "Deftly combining low-key romance and gentle humor, the director, Ella Lemhagen (working from Michael Druker's 2008 play), stares down prejudice with a nudge and a wink rather than a soapbox.

"[6] Kevin Thomas from the Los Angeles Times wrote "This most observant and involving film has three strengths: It shows that a strongly family-oriented, middle-class suburbia is initially hardly idyllic for gays; the arrival of Patrik reveals fissures in Sven and Goran’s relationship; and that Lemhagen, who plays against predictability at every turn, maintains suspense right up to the final minutes as to how everything may turn out for the three.