Nik Dodani, Brandon Flynn and Dean Norris’ off-screen friendship shines through in the new Max original film The Parenting.

The film stars Dodani and Flynn as Rohan and Josh, a couple eager to enjoy a getaway with their families—who are meeting for the first time. However, tensions rise when the families discover that their rental home is haunted by a 400-year-old poltergeist. When one of the parents becomes possessed, Rohan, Josh, and their best friend must band together to unite their families and defeat the ghost once and for all. The starry cast also includes Brian Cox, Edie Falco, Lisa Kudrow, Parker Posey, and Vivian Bang.

A cast that became family off-screen

The actors told Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum that the cast quickly became like family on set.

“We just bonded really quickly and immediately as a cast,” Norris said. “Me and Lisa [Kudrow] and Parker [Posey] all shared a house, and Edie [Falco] was next to us. The boys would come over all the time. And we just had fun—eating out, cooking out, movie nights, and just hanging out on the porch. I don’t smoke anymore, but people [would] go out there and have a smoke, and we [would] just start hanging out. We would improv and riff and have fun. And we brought all that, I think, right into the movie, and I think that’s what kind of helped. It just felt like we were all old friends when we first met. It was very, very great.”

Rohan and Josh’s relationship feels authentic, says the stars

Dodani also reflected on how his and Flynn’s characters interact as a real couple—full of differences yet grounded in a shared love that forms the foundation of their relationship.

“What I love about Josh and Ro is that they’re so different, but they love each other so much,” he said. “They continue to love each other even when they’re annoying the shit out of each other, uh, which is just very real.”

Challenges that strengthen their bond

Flynn echoed this sentiment, emphasizing how the couple evolves throughout the film.

“I feel like they are really challenged by what does eventually happen in a lot of relationships,” he said. “You know one person, and then throughout your experiences, you start to see all the many versions of your loved one. I think they’re challenged with [if] they can accept each other for who they are in all their affairs. Luckily for these boys, there is a happy ending.”

The Parenting is now streaming on Max.