Step Brothers

Brennan Huff and Dale Doback might be grown men. But that doesn't stop them from living at home and turning into jealous, competitive stepbrothers when their single parents marry. Brennan's constant competition with Dale strains his mom's marriage to Dale's dad, leaving everyone to wonder whether they'll ever see eye to eye.

Step Brothers landed in genuinely split territory on release, with critics agreeing on the basic ingredients — two man-children, relentless vulgarity, loosely strung set pieces — but disagreeing sharply on whether those ingredients add up to inspired absurdist comedy or an exhausting exercise in one-note excess. The central question was whether Ferrell and Reilly's near-identical characters create comic momentum or simply eliminate the contrast that makes a buddy dynamic work. A decade on, audience enthusiasm has outpaced the critical reception, widening a gap that makes the film something of a cult case.