PG-13 | 1h 42m | Comedy, Sports | 2026
Although it’s been around since the mid-1960s, pickleball only started picking up steam early in this decade. With over 3,000 outdoor courts in the United States alone, it is estimated there are around 22 million people who play it regularly the world over.
If you’ve heard of pickleball but are unaware of its inner workings, not to worry; everything you could ever possibly want to know about it can be found in “The Dink.”
Written by Sean Clements (“Parks and Recreation,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and directed by Josh Greenbaum (“Strays,” “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar”), “The Dink” follows the standard sports comedy blueprint. This isn’t bad per se. The fact that it’s the first-ever movie about pickleball makes it something of a cinematic trailblazer.
The Dink and the Kitchen
To the untrained eye, pickleball is something of a hybrid of traditional tennis and ping pong, just with bigger paddles and a wiffle ball. There are certain intricacies and rules unique to the sport, such as a playing option called the dink. This involves a no-man’s land portion of the playing surface referred to as the kitchen.These points are lost on Dusty (Jake Johnson), a full-of-himself, former child tennis phenom who hit a professional brick wall in his late teens after being smoked in tournament by Andy Roddick. Roddick appears as himself in an extended cameo.
Pickleball Is the Cure
After a clunky series of scenes showing the decisions on the future of pickleball at this particular venue, Dusty injures himself. Counting on securing multiple pain medications from Dr. Stone (Ben Stiller), Dusty is miffed at, instead, a prescription for a slow heal via pick-up pickleball.This is followed by a “meet-cute” introduction between Dusty and Candace (Mary Steenburgen), a woman three decades his senior. Slowly but surely, Candace begins to grow on Dusty, to the point where he thinks she’s romantically interested in him. Dusty is convinced of this while the pair watches “The Graduate” at her place.
The Secret Weapon
The not-so-secret weapon of the movie is Aaron Chen (“Fisk”) as PJ, another tennis club employee who absolutely worships Dusty and initially believes every (unreliable) word out of his mouth. An Asian born in Australia, Chen delivers every one of his stone-faced, deadpan lines in a manner that would turn Jack Benny and Steven Wright green with envy. Chen deserves his own sequel or prequel to “The Dink,” he’s that good.
Another great addition to the cast is John McEnroe, another pro appearing as himself. He shows up in a cameo in the third act. More or less replicating his job as a TV tennis tournament color commentator, McEnroe keeps a straight face for the duration of his screen time.
Abrasive and Delusional
Johnson is mostly known for supporting and voice-over roles. “The Dink” gives him a chance to carry a movie with conviction, misplaced bravado, and ultimately unforced vulnerability. Dusty’s considerable character arc is harder than it looks.Johnson is called on to play an abrasive and delusional spoiled brat who we hate and ultimately transforms into someone we can root for. That’s a tall order few actors can pull off with conviction.
“The Dink” gives a feel-good uplift with an ending that can be seen coming by about the halfway point. Sometimes that’s just enough to warrant investing a couple of hours.
