Kevin Hart turns midlife mayhem into comedy gold in ’72 Hours’

Kevin Hart is back on the silver screen in the brand-new R-rated comedy, “72 Hours”.

The Netflix film, which was released on Friday, July 24, explores universal themes that audiences around the world will be able to relate to.

These include ageing in a youth-obsessed workplace, generational culture clashes, group chat culture, friendship across generations and learning to stop chasing validation.

While the movie, directed by Tim Story and written by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider, has received mixed reviews since its release, I thoroughly enjoyed several aspects of the film.

The first is, of course, Hart’s trademark humour, which I have been a fan of since childhood. I was also amused by how “72 Hours” fuses outrageous set pieces with a surprisingly earnest story about growing older and accepting yourself.

Rather than relying solely on raunchy comedy, the production is filled with heartwarming moments that many of us have experienced at some point in our lives: career struggles, strained friendships, new romantic relationships changing your social life as well as the desire to simply let loose and enjoy time with loved ones.

In “72 Hours”, Hart stars as Joe, a 40-year-old advertising executive whose career is facing challenges following his failure to connect with the younger generation. As he eyes a top position at his firm and becomes increasingly disconnected from his younger colleagues, Joe is accidentally added to a group chat for a bachelor party made up entirely of 20-somethings.

The chat was set up by best man Nick (Marcello Hernández) for the groom, Mason (Mason Gooding). The rest of the group includes Freshman (Kam Patterson), who is naïve, enthusiastic and eager to experience everything the weekend has to offer. Then there is Hunter (Ben Marshall), an emotionally vulnerable member of the bachelor party whose awkwardness provides many of the film’s comedic moments.

Meanwhile, having only interacted with this group of friends virtually, Joe sees the opportunity to join the gents for a bachelor weekend in Miami as a chance to reinvent himself professionally and personally.

As he insists that this will be a networking opportunity, Joe and the guys quickly find themselves caught up in hilarious yet dangerous chaos, becoming swept up in an increasingly outrageous 72-hour weekend of parties, drugs, criminals, yachts, mistaken identities and mid-life mayhem.

The movie sees director Story reunite with Hart following collaborations including “Ride Along”, leaning into many of the elements I have come to enjoy from the pair. This includes fast pacing, broad physical comedy, ensemble banter and escalating absurdity.

Visually, the movie isn’t particularly ambitious, but it aims to keep the jokes coming quickly rather than reinvent the comedy genre.

My favourite part of “72 Hours” is Hart’s performance. The Hollywood star largely plays against his usual hyper-confident persona as Joe is introduced to viewers as insecure, professionally stagnant and obsessed with appearing younger.

The highlights of the movie for me come from watching him desperately attempt to keep up with Gen Z party culture while repeatedly embarrassing himself.

Whether audiences enjoy the performance will likely depend on how much they appreciate Hart leaning into self-deprecating humour rather than simply playing the loudest person in the room.

I was also impressed by the younger supporting ensemble, with Hernández, of “Saturday Night Live”, deserving praise for his comedic performance and chemistry with Hart.

Meanwhile, Gooding, Marshall and Patterson bring a different comedic rhythm than Hart’s traditional collaborators.

There are also several other stars to look out for in “72 Hours”, including multi-award-winning performer Teyana Taylor as Jennifer, Joe’s longtime girlfriend. She serves as Joe’s emotional anchor and encourages him to figure out what truly matters beyond trying to relive his youth.

There is also an incredible cameo from comedic superstar and one of my all-time favourite comedians, Katt Williams, playing himself. He appears during one of Joe’s drug-fuelled hallucinations, leading to an absurd, over-the-top fight with Hart.

The scene is a tongue-in-cheek nod to Hart and Williams’s real-life public feud, complete with exaggerated insults and slapstick action. It’s one of the film’s most talked-about moments.

It’s Kevin Hart vs. Katt Williams in 72 Hours!!! pic.twitter.com/qwDGZdWMyk

— Netflix (@netflix) July 26, 2026

Mike Epps also features in a supporting role as a police officer, and his scenes are especially notable because Epps and Hart also had a long-running public rivalry, making their on-screen reunion an inside joke for comedy fans.

Overall, “72 Hours” may not reinvent the comedy genre, but it doesn’t need to.

With Hart’s trademark humour, a strong supporting cast and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments balanced with genuine heart, it’s an entertaining watch that’s well worth adding to your Netflix queue.

♦ Rating: **** a standout film with exceptional qualities.