I thought I knew where The Dad Quest was going but the ending proved me wrong
The Spanish-language film, The Dad Quest, was released on April 9, 2025, on Netflix. Salvador Espinosa directed the movie from a screenplay co-written by Tato Alexander and Mariano Vera. Among its producers are Sergio Salazar, Alejandra Vidal, and Rodrigo Trujillo, while Rodrigo de Pedro, Christian Faillace, Sofía Legarreta, and Juan Vera serve as its executive producers.
Furthermore, The Dad Quest stars Michel Brown, Martino Leonardi, Mayra Hermosillo, Julieta Egurrola, Fernanda Castillo, Angélica Vale, Ricardo Fastlicht, and Arath de la Torre, among others. Netflix described the film's official synopsis as follows:
"When his ex-wife dies, Gallo (Michel Brown) learns he isn't their son's real father - and sets out with her best friend and the child to find answers."
Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's personal opinion.
The Dad Quest focuses on the bond between father and son
The Dad Quest takes the familiar trope of searching for one's biological parents and adds a dose of humor to deliver a lighthearted comedy film that I found quite entertaining to watch. It introduces the protagonist, Gallo, as a workaholic television producer of the reality series, Lo Mejor del Mundo (The Best in the World). He is on good terms with his ex-wife, Alicia Ugalde, and co-parents their 9-year-old son Benito.
But from the get-go, I found Gallo checking all the boxes for an absent father as he never takes time out from work to bond with Benito and is utterly clueless about his son's life. His ex-wife hints that Benito may not be his real son, prompting him to take a DNA test to confirm the suspicions. But after Alicia loses her life in a road accident, he becomes the boy's sole guardian. The 9-year-old soon learns the truth and seeks his father's help to find his biological father.
Also read: Is The Dad Quest based on a true story? Explained
Benito and Gallo find each other in The Dad Quest
Together, they track down Alicia's former romantic partners one by one. They start with the painter Federico Alcantara, followed by the dance instructor Eliseo, and the celebrity Erik Ruben. However, none of them turn out to be Benito's real father. After their search goes nowhere, Gallo turns to Benito's learning counselor and Alicia's best friend, Diana, for help.
She suggests speaking to Alicia's psychologist, Dr. Canek, who names her former boss, Enrique Vega, as the real father. But before Gallo can take Benito to meet Enrique, he learns that his reality show has been canceled. Desperate to secure his job prospects, he heads to Miami and asks Diana to drop the young boy at his grandmother's place.
But a chance encounter with his old friend, Javo, at the airport convinces him to appreciate his life's blessings instead of chasing the unknown. Gallo reunites with Benito, and the trio sets off to meet Enrique Vega. At this point, I was convinced that Enrique was the real father. However, he turns out to be significantly older than Alicia and, more importantly, married with a wife and young daughter.
Enrique instantly bonds with Benito over video games, and it seems like the young boy has finally found his father. When Benito brings up his mother, Enrique expresses his sadness over her death and missing her funeral. I could not figure out from their conversation if he is truly Benito's dad, but the young boy seemed convinced.
In the film's climax, he confidently tells Gallo that Enrique is not the one. Furthermore, he reveals that he does not want to continue his search as he has found the father he wanted in Gallo.
To my surprise, The Dad Quest did not conclusively answer the question of the young boy's paternity. Instead, its true message centers on the connection formed between Gallo and Benito as they started spending more time together during their quest. It was heartwarming to see Gallo learn to love and care for the young boy as he grows to trust and look up to him.
The Dad Quest is available to stream on Netflix.
