With a crazy criminal hot on their trail, an ex-con and his adopted brother have to go on the run with a strange futuristic weapon in their possession. Kin is written and directed by Jonathan and Josh Baker, and stars Myles Truitt, Jack Reynor and more.
The Good:
One thing that makes this film especially unique is the fact that it walks a fine line between two genres; drama and sci-fi. From the beginning of the film, we get an explosive intro to immediately get your attention. Soon after, we dive into the more dramatic aspects of the family dynamics that are explored throughout the movie. I thought that was a pretty insightful move on the part of the directors, Josh and Jonathan Baker, because the first 15 mins of the film really set up audience for the ride they are about ensue.
Since the film explores two different genres, let me address them separately. I particularly enjoyed the main mcguffin in the film being the alien/futuristic gun. The style and design of the weapon is unique and the simple special effects used give it just enough punch to make it believable. As displayed in the trailer, the amount of power and the level of devastation the gun possesses is a nice highlight in the movie. It may be easy to say that the scenes with the gun were probably the more intriguing, and intense moments in the film.
As for the other genre of drama, a lot of that is encompassed in the characters. By using a number of flawed characters in the film, the directors were able to convey a compelling story about blended families. This was led by Myles Truitt who gave a satisfactory performance as “Eli”. Truitt’s on screen chemistry with Jack Reynor (who plays his brother “Jimmy”) really sell the story of two brothers caught up in bad situations. Despite it all, I thought they were able to convey a nice coming of age story for Myles’ character.
It should also be mentioned that some of the other supporting roles were commendable too. Zoë Kravitz’s character was a nice addition to the cast to supplement the story angle of broken people and families. However, I must say that James Franco’s character certainly established himself as a villainous force to be reckoned with.
The Bad:
Unfortunately, when it came to the story of this film, there were a number of elements that were too predictable. For instance, there are moments where the audience knows certain bits of information that other characters do not, but the entire time we’re just waiting for the big reveal to happen. In this film, when those moments arrive, the payoff isn’t that great when it comes to drama for some scenes. There’s an ongoing subplot that is happening during the movie, and yet again, the outcomes were fairly close to what’s expected to happen.
Lastly, while I did appreciate the effort to put in a compelling twist in the film, I think that it may be a bit off-setting for some viewers. The ending of the film felt a bit too rushed and underdeveloped given the sharp turn the movie takes. The ending does make sense if there was more time given to devote to a larger story, however, for what we’re given in the time allotted, it feels a bit shoehorned in.
The Verdict:
Kin is an interesting story and genre bender of a film. I think that viewers will have to go in with the understanding that the movie isn’t going to be a typical sci-fi or drama. As a matter of fact, I would say that it’s about 70% family drama, and about 30% sci-fi. With that said, you should manage your expectations for this film. Kin would make for a solid matinee film or even something to see on VOD. Feel free to check it out.
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi , Drama
Director: Jonathan Baker, Josh Baker
Writer: Jonathan Baker, Josh Baker
Stars: Myles Truitt, Jack Reynor, Dennis Quaid
