KIN

Despite the promotional material for ‘Kin’, the film is definitely focused on the family drama and road trip elements much more heavily than the sci-fi. Rather, the latter is interwoven throughout the script as a means of giving the brothers an advantage over their pursuers and to further add complications to their situation. This works on the whole, but the science fiction storyline does escalate a little at the very end of the film, which may not sit well with some viewers.

The strength of ‘Kin’ lies in the relationship between the brothers, and the dynamic between newcomer Myles Truitt and Jack Reynor is impressive. This isn’t a usual loving family scenario - these two are of different age, race, and worldly outlook, and Jimmy is pretty much one of the shittiest older brothers you could ask for - bringing a 14-year-old kid on the run whilst drinking profusely, taking him to strip clubs and convincing him to join you on heists doesn’t necessarily make him an ideal role model. However, they do have an endearing relationship, and the two actors work well against each other to bring depth to their characters.

This dynamic is strengthened even further when Milly (Zoë Kravitz, TV’s ‘Big Little Lies’, the ‘Divergent’ series, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’) joins the duo, bringing a very maternal element to the film. In an unconventional role for Kravitz, and it’s great to see her sinking her teeth into it; the on-screen relationship between Milly and Eli may be one of the best things about the film.

‘Kin’ comes to us courtesy of Australian directing twins, Jonathan and Josh Baker. Based off their short film ‘Bag Man’, they used this to attract their impressive cast and the likes of Michael B. Jordan (‘Black Panther’, ‘Creed’, ‘Fruitvale Station’) as the film’s executive producer. They’ve done a great job with the attention to detail in the film too - for what would be a low-budget Hollywood film, they’ve made the most of every dollar. Visually impressive, they’ve gone for a very symmetrical cinematography style, balancing grungy dark looks with bold and bright colours. The special effects are also noteworthy - tastefully done and never over-the-top, they again support the sci-fi angle taking a back seat to the brothers’ story.

A solid offering from a clearly talented creative team, ‘Kin’ is a very different kind of family drama. There are times, particularly as the second act goes on, where it does become obvious that the story was based off a short film, and events do become a little episodic. Still, this shouldn’t deter you from checking it out - with such an exciting cast and a fantastic debut from the Baker brothers, it only goes to prove old stories can be retold in intriguing new ways.