In Dad Squad (2025), we meet Jack, an overworked single father who, after years of neglecting his own childhood dreams, is unexpectedly recruited into a secret “dad squad” — a group of dads assembled to help troubled youth reclaim confidence and purpose. At first, Jack is skeptical and resentful: he’s juggling his job, his teenage daughter’s distancing behaviour, and the recent loss of his own father, so this added responsibility feels like just one more burden. The film begins with a crisp montage of Jack arriving late for his daughter’s school play, missing family dinners, and falling asleep on his couch, establishing the emotional gulf between him and his child.

As the “dad squad” training begins, we see Jack paired with a high‑school boy named Marcus who has dropped out and is living with his aunt. Marcus is angry at his absent dad and lashes out at everyone, and Jack sees in him a reflection of his younger self. The film uses their training sessions — community service, wilderness weekend outings, mentorship tasks — as a mirror for Jack to face his own failures and insecurities. Slowly, Jack begins to open up, share stories of his own childhood, and admit to Marcus that he is scared of being a repeat of his father’s mistakes. The narrative cleverly balances humour (the bumbling dads in awkward team‑building drills) with emotional weight (Jack’s memory of his father’s deathbed confession).

By the film’s midpoint, tensions rise: Marcus acts out again, Jack oversteps boundaries, and Jack’s daughter confronts him: “You’re always helping other kids — what about me?” This moment hits Jack hard. He realises that while he’s trying to save others, he has ignored the most important relationship in his life. The titular “dad squad” becomes not only about mentoring youth but also about Jack’s own journey to fatherhood. He commits to turning up at his daughter’s soccer game, listens when she opens up about her fears, and admits he’s been absent. In doing so, he begins to model the vulnerability and reliability he wants to instil in Marcus.

In the final training exercise, the squad takes the kids and dads on a remote camping trip, a climax that weaves personal reckonings with outward action. A storm forces Jack and Marcus to work together to get a stranded boat back to shore; in that crisis Jack draws on his newly formed trust with Marcus and his daughter watching via phone video. Jack realises that fatherhood, like leadership, is not about perfection but about showing up, admitting mistakes, and making the effort. In the aftermath, Marcus returns to school, reconnects with his father, and Jack’s daughter invites him to attend her art gallery opening — a symbol of renewed connection.

Dad Squad closes on a quiet scene: Jack and his daughter lie on the lawn beneath an evening sky, sharing a bowl of popcorn and talking about nothing and everything. The “dad squad” logo, once a literal patch on Jack’s jacket, now becomes a metaphor: the real squad is family, the real mission is presence. In a world where many fathers juggle work, technology and distraction, this film offers an uplifting and relatable message: the journey of fatherhood doesn’t require heroics, just commitment.