Finnegan’s Foursome
June 18th, 2026
MOVIE: FINNEGAN’S FOURSOME
STARRING: EDWARD BURNS, BRIAN D’ARCY JAMES, ERICA HERNANDEZ, BRIAN MULLER
DIRECTED BY: EDWARD BURNS
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 1 STAR (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 121 MINUTES
There may not be a more disappointing film in 2026 than Finnegan’s Foursome, the latest from Edward Burns, the filmmaker behind relationship dramas like She’s the One and The Brothers McMullen. The disappointment stings even more because I was such a fan of his recent Millers in Marriage, a thoughtful and mature examination of relationships. This effort is miles away from that film’s strengths. Instead, Burns has assembled a paper-thin script short on conflict, insight, and laughs. Finnegan’s Foursome is a shank straight into the sand trap of cinema.
The Finnegan family is led by Jack (Ian McElhinney), a legendary golfer and, at best, a mediocre father. Every year, Jack and his sons- Freddy (Edward Burns) and Teddy (Brian d’Arcy James)- compete in the annual Finnegan golf match. The catch is that Jack has never lost. This year, the brothers are determined to finally beat him, but on the very first hole, Freddy’s son Frankie (Brian Muller) sinks a hole-in-one. The shock proves too much for Jack, who suffers a fatal heart attack on the spot. It appears the Finnegan Cup will become a memory, but to honor their father’s legacy, the family decides to continue the tradition. Teddy’s daughter Marie (Erica Hernandez) becomes the fourth player, and together they set out across the Irish countryside, scattering Jack’s ashes at various holes along the way.
At first, Finnegan’s Foursome seems like the perfect vehicle for a Burns film. His work has always been dialogue-driven, exploring the complexities of family, love, and relationships. The problem is that Burns never finds anything meaningful to say. Hole after hole, the characters recycle the same conversations: their father didn’t love them enough, wasn’t there for their mother, and left them emotionally stunted. This cycle repeats for more than two hours, interrupted only by golfing montages before returning to the same grievances. By the midway point, the film has exhausted its ideas and has nowhere left to go.
That kind of narrative stagnation feels especially out of character for Burns, who typically excels at building compelling dynamics between characters. Here, the central conflict revolves around the sons reconciling their father’s life and legacy, but the material quickly becomes redundant. A few scenes focus on Frankie’s shortcomings, while Marie largely exists to endure sexist remarks before the men congratulate themselves for finally allowing a woman into the game. Burns has often explored masculinity and the differences between men and women with nuance and curiosity. Finnegan’s Foursome lacks that introspection, settling instead for the shallow notion that golf itself is somehow cathartic.
The film’s biggest problem may be its runtime. At a lean 90 minutes, this could have been a slight but charming story about family, grief, and reconciliation. Instead, it sprawls past the two-hour mark, padded with scenes that add little to the narrative. One sequence featuring the grandchildren singing a monotonous Irish tune in a pub induced genuine second-hand embarrassment. In the end, Finnegan’s Foursome ranks among Edward Burns’ biggest misfires- a shot that sails over the green, skips past the bunker, and splashes directly into the water hazard. That’s a two-stroke penalty.
1 STAR
FINNEGAN’S FOURSOME IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS AND AVAILABLE TO BUY OR RENT ON DIGITAL THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
