Role Model 2023

Danny and Wheeler are longtime salesmen promoting the energy drink Minotaur, a promotion they’ve carried for a decade with the belief it helps keep kids away from drugs. Wheeler loves the grind and the camaraderie of the hustle, while Danny has grown tired, jaded, and discouraged by a career he sees as pointless. Their strained dynamic spills over into their personal lives, contributing to a breakup with Beth after Danny makes an impulsive marriage proposal that Beth isn’t ready to accept.

A botched presentation at a high school ends badly when their Minotaur truck is towed from a no-parking zone. In an attempt to recover the vehicle, Danny crashes into a statue while nearly colliding with a security guard, and both men find themselves facing arrest. Their lawyer, Beth, negotiates a deal that keeps them out of jail: 150 hours of community service over the next 30 days.

They are assigned to Sturdy Wings, a big brother–big sister program run by Gayle Sweeny, a recovering addict who believes in giving young people a chance. Wheeler is paired with Ronnie Shields, a vulgar but clever boy who has driven away many of his previous mentors. Danny is paired with Augie Farks, a shy teenager who is deeply immersed in a medieval LARPG called LAIRE (Live Action Interactive Role-playing Explorers).

Initial frustrations arise as Danny struggles to connect with Augie, while Ronnie greets Wheeler with hostility. Danny wonders if jail might be easier, but Wheeler convinces him to stick with the program for the chance to make a real difference. Over time, the two mentors begin to form a bond with their “littles.” Ronnie opens up about his relationship with his father and the sense of abandonment that haunts him, while Danny starts to understand Augie’s obsession with LAIRE and the fantasy world he inhabits.

Ronnie learns that Wheeler shares a passion for Kiss, and Wheeler teaches him how to manage his fixation with breasts in a way that helps him cope with real life. Danny and Augie discover a surprising common ground in their involvement with Sturdy Wings, bridging the gap between fantasy and reality. Danny also makes efforts to reconnect with Beth, though she remains resolute that they need to stay apart for now.

Trouble resurfaces when Augie sneaks up on the LAIRE King, Argotron, who lies about killing Augie. Danny defends Augie by pushing the King, which leads to Augie and Danny being banned from LAIRE. At dinner that night, Danny chastises Augie’s mother and her boyfriend for ridiculing Augie’s interests, firing back with the remark, “I’d be psyched if he was my kid.”

Meanwhile, Wheeler takes Ronnie to a party, but leaves him unsupervised, and Ronnie ends up walking home alone. With the parents of both boys asking Sturdy Wings for new mentors, Gayle expels Danny and Wheeler from the program, threatening jail time unless they can prove themselves. Beth agrees to help defend them, warning that the odds are stacked against them.

Wheeler secures permission from Karen to spend time with Ronnie after he’s released from jail, and Ronnie forgives him for the rough patch. Danny persuades Argotron to let Augie and him participate in a climactic battle in LAIRE, and they forge ahead with a plan. However, Argotron warns the LAIRE country of Xanthia that Augie would be a liability, and the group votes to cut him loose.

Undeterred, Danny and Augie rally Wheeler and Ronnie to join them in creating a new LAIRE country, arriving in Kiss-inspired outfits with a Minotaur-branded truck under the banner of “Kiss-My-Anthia.” Augie ultimately defeats Argotron, but a hidden LAIRE player known as Esplen, who goes by Sarah, defeats Augie in the end and is crowned as queen, choosing Augie as her king-consort. This surprising turn brings renewed support from Augie’s parents.

In the end, Gayle recognizes that Wheeler and Danny have placed the children’s well-being above their own, and she helps smooth over the legal trouble with the judge. The story closes with Danny serenading Beth to the Kiss ballad “Beth,” sealing their reconciliation and underscoring the film’s themes of redemption, mentorship, and the power of second chances.