Financially strapped newlyweds Matt and Alex Landis move into the suburban home of the bride's well-off parents, Victor and Marlene Pellet. From the get-go, there's tension between the affable Matt, a would-be chef, and his inflexible father-in-law. Victor's immediate annoyance with Matt over petty matters prompts him to gruffly call for ""private convo times,"" shorthand for one-on-one conversations with his son-in-law, which are intended to intimidate the young man. That they do, until Matt decides to have his own private showdown with his new relation at a fancy restaurant.

After their squeaky mattress puts their sex-life on display, Matt and Alex want a new bed and are talked into going to the ""Mattress King"" by Victor—which leads to a male struggle for dominance as both of the men in Alex' life try to prove their superiority through a mattress purchase. Meanwhile, Marlene befriends a co-worker, a condescending former classmate of Alex who ridiculed her throughout school.