Digital Movie Review: Should You Stream or Skip ‘Finnegan’s Foursome’?

In the heart of Finnegan’s Foursome—now streaming on VOD platforms like Prime Video—lies a recurring auditory motif: THWUPP. THWUPP. THWUPP. It’s not the sound of a helicopter, but the distinctive echo of a golf club striking a ball. Specifically, it’s the wood being used to tee off, presumably, as I’m not exactly a connoisseur of the game. While many have a passion for golf, others like myself remain indifferent, making us less likely to be drawn to Edward Burns’ latest film, which he writes, directs, and stars in as a homage to his beloved sport and his late mother. Although touching, as the film—a typical Burns-style, conversational dramedy—unfolds, it becomes evident that those who don’t share this golf enthusiasm might want to look elsewhere for entertainment.

FINNEGAN’S FOURSOME: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

The Gist: The Finnegan clan lives and breathes golf. They play it, discuss it, dream about it, and even metaphorically consume it. The family patriarch, Jack (Ian McElhinney), a retired pro golfer now in his 80s, organizes the annual Finnegan’s Cup, a family golf tournament with his sons, Teddy (Brian d’Arcy James) and Freddy (Burns). This tournament isn’t a casual affair; it’s fiercely competitive, appealing to those with a penchant for wagering on the smallest of competitions. Jack is the perennial champion, with Freddy often accusing him of mind games and suspecting that Teddy is the favored son.

On occasion, the grandchildren join in, such as Freddy’s son Frankie (Brian Muller), though Teddy’s daughter Marie (Erica Hernandez) is notably absent. It’s a boys’ club, after all. As Jack, Freddy, Teddy, and Frankie take to the course, just as Jack gives his customary speech about the family’s cherished club and the rarity of a hole-in-one, Frankie achieves this rare feat. Jack’s reaction? A heart attack. He’s finished his earthly rounds and moves on to the great golf course in the sky, leaving behind fond memories and many putts.

The film glosses over the mourning and memorials, returning quickly to its light-hearted comedy. Jack wished for his ashes to be scattered across four locations in Ireland, the birthplace of golf for the family. Thus, Freddy, Teddy, Frankie, and finally Marie embark on a journey to the Emerald Isle for what feels like endless rounds of golf. Be thankful some are condensed into montages. Will Freddy let go of the resentment towards his golf-obsessed father? Can Teddy overcome his writer’s block? Does Frankie find his role in this story? Will Marie hold her own in this male-dominated narrative? Or is the film simply a marathon of golf, golf, and more golf?

What Movies Will It Remind You Of? For a dose of Burns’ characteristic dramedy, you might prefer revisiting The Family McMullen, the 2025 follow-up to his acclaimed 1990s film The Brothers McMullen, over Finnegan, which might leave you feeling as though you’re lugging a hefty golf bag across a scorching course. Rest assured, classics like Caddyshack and Tin Cup continue to reign as the ultimate golf movies.

Performance Worth Watching: James exudes what’s best described as mild charisma as he counterbalances Burns’ gently contrived mild prickliness. 

Sex And Skin: Not even a “put one in the hole” double-entendre.

Our Take: Note: Promotional consideration by that one specific Irish beer with the dense, foamy head, whose logo gets the foreground multiple times during a particularly glossy segment of this film, but hey, at least the product placement is culturally specific and relevant, right? Not to be too cynical about Finnegan’s Foursome, which is calculated to be an easy-and-breezy love letter to one specific sport, and it ain’t badminton. This is a movie strictly for people who get priapic about golf — or yonic, since we’re avoiding sexism here, and let’s face it, the sport is as much about holes as it is about clubs. 

For the rest of us, though, the joys are meager. Burns shows little interest in dramatic tension, formulating the film as a hangout movie in which we get to know the characters as they leisurely make their way through the roughs and greens of the cradle of golf civilization. The manner in which the Finnegan family members talk defines them as well as the manner in which they play golf, I think. (Although any nuance in style is either poorly represented or lost on those of us who prefer the relative fury of a rousing game of cornhole.) Although Jeff Muhlstock’s cinematography shows clear affection for beautiful greenery, Burns runs out of interesting ways to shoot and present golfing after about 40 minutes. Just when you start feeling like the perpetual golfing may be dwindling, you check the progress bar and there’s 49 more minutes of movie to go, 46 of which will inevitably depict golfing. 

The story, such as it is, progresses via brief interludes with Irish kin, one of whom might — GASP — sell the family property filled with all the trees planted for each and every Finnegan living or dead. But that’s a sub-subplot to the driving and putting, and second fiddle to Freddy and Teddy’s quasi-comical need to share a hotel room with one bed, since there was a booking error, and they lost a bet. Such drama! Wisely, Burns leans away from obvious golf-as-life metaphors, but that diverts the film’s themes toward banal stuff about family legacies, traditions and togetherness. 

That approach also puts the emphasis on Burns’ signature dialogue, which always drives his narrative, but in this case, isn’t his best. Much of it is along the lines of, “Hey, remember that thing we did that now functions as exposition in a movie to flesh out our characters?” The rest is formulaic quasi-banter — so much of it about Freddy and Teddy’s tireless competitiveness, fostered by decades of their father’s influence — or flush-to-the-nose sentimental observations like, “All four of us 10 feet from the pin? I’d say the old man is here with us right now.” I dunno, if old Jack was such a great guy, he might’ve instilled in his children a broader interest in the world beyond golf golf golf golf golf. 

Our Call: Finnegan’s Foursome is for golf diehards only, no ifs, ands or putts. SKIP IT.

John Serba is a freelance film critic from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Werner Herzog hugged him once.