3397. The Family Fang (2017)

Starring: Jason Bateman, Nicole Kidman, Christopher Walken

Director: Jason Bateman

Running Time: 105 mins

The Family Fang is an American film about the estranged son and daughter of a couple of eccentric performance artists, who are forced to reunite with their parents as they consider their bizarre upbringing.

I absolutely loved this film. Funny, dark and touching in all the right places, while also featuring a quartet of fantastic performances, The Family Fang is a brilliantly entertaining and at times even thrilling film to watch from start to finish.

First things first, let’s talk about the style of dark humour in this movie, because it strikes a balance that’s really, really tough to nail throughout its entire runtime.

On the one hand, the movie counts on the comedic skills of the likes of Jason Bateman, Christopher Walken and even Nicole Kidman to bring real levity to proceedings throughout, allowing the movie to really spread its wings as a quirky mockery of an unconventional upbringing.

In fact, mockery is perhaps the wrong word, as The Family Fang blends a dark view of the role of parents in the life of their children with surprisingly heartfelt and touching drama that never totally writes off the eccentric parents for everything that took place.

From having used their children as props in their performances to neglecting them when not needed, it’s fair to say that The Family Fang doesn’t hold back with some of its darker drama, but our view of that darkness, told through the eyes of the son and daughter played by Jason Bateman and Nicole Kidman, is very much in tune with how parents are viewed in the real world.

While there is undeniable resentment for the nature of their upbringing, Bateman and Kidman are also beholden by familial love for their parents, unable and unwilling to fully disconnect from them no matter what they may say, an engrossing emotional theme that plays a major role in the film’s final act.

As a result, The Family Fang is able to bring together captivating drama and genuine depth with delightfully quirky and sharply dark humour, bolstered by fantastic performances across the board that brings fantastic charisma to the table throughout. So, that’s why I’m giving The Family Fang an 8.0 overall.