After landing at JFK International Airport, a young woman takes a cab back to her apartment in Manhattan. During the ride, she and the cab driver, Clark, have unexpectedly honest conversations about numerous topics, including their past and present relationships, sex and power dynamics, loss, and vulnerability.[5]
The film was originally conceived as a stage play in New York City.[3] In October 2017, it was announced that Daisy Ridley would star in the film, based on a spec script by Christy Hall.[7] That December, the script was included on that year's "Black List" of the most-liked unproduced scripts in Hollywood.[8] In June 2021, it was announced that Johnson had replaced Ridley and that Penn was also cast in the film.[5][9] Johnson was the one to initially suggest Penn and personally sent him the script.[10]
All scenes taking place within the cab were shot on a sound stage using on-set virtual production, consisting of large LED video screens on which digital environments were rendered. The actors performed in front of the screens in real time.[10]
Release
Daddio premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023.[13] It also screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, as part of its special screening program.[14][1] In September 2023, Sony Pictures Classics acquired distribution rights to the film for North and Latin America as well as some European and Asian territories, scheduling it for a theatrical release sometime in 2024.[15] It was released in the United States and Canada on June 28, 2024.[16][17][4]
Daddio was released in Germany June 27, and in Argentina June 28, 2024. The film was scheduled to be released in Russia and the CIS on July 11, 2024.[4]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, the film made $424,091 from 628 theaters in its opening weekend.[18]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 100 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "A ruminative chamber piece on wheels, Daddio feels expansive thanks to Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn's compelling rapport."[19]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20]
Peter DeBruge of Variety gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Every aspect of Daddio is designed to spark conversation. But it’s sweeter and more satisfying than you might expect..."[21] Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a positive review, calling it "A deftly executed debut feature."[22]Todd McCarthy of Deadline Hollywood also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Sean Penn is at his absolute best here in a tremendously engaging performance as a salty working-class guy with an endless supply of opinions and ways of drawing out his passengers, while Dakota Johnson more than holds her own as a game passenger increasingly willing to share her problems with the amateur shrink behind the wheel."[23]
