As confused as a mainstream movie gets, this cut-rate sci-fi yarn ticks off more clichés than a half time interview at the footy: troubled adopted kid lashing out, derelict older brother with a heart of gold, stern father with fortune-cookie wisdom, damaged girl with alluring pluck, dirtied-down James Franco... the list goes on. Throw in a coming-of-age tale loosely wrapped in an otherworldly mystery, with a side of poker-robbery, road tripping and getting drunk in a strip club, and this is movie-making by checklist. It's not hard to see why this was originally a short film - 15 minutes is more than enough to tell this story. Conceptually there are a few nuggets of mystery-building potential, but these are largely lost within the completely pedestrian plot. And, save for an unexpectedly good (but quick) finale which clearly hogged the lion's share of the budget, the visual style lacks flair and ambition. One of the biggest slaps in the face is that it gives the super-talented Carrie Coon, plus another star who pops up for an uncredited cameo, approximately one minute of screen time in the final act, clearly setting them up for a sequel that exactly nobody will want to see. Lazy script choices, bland casting and a muddled tone results in Kin being entirely devoid of charisma, intrigue and excitement.
Review of Kin
