The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Combining genres has been the recent trend in movies lately; from Marvel and DC adding comedy to their previously purely action films to this sci-fi/drama called Kin. Does it always work? Definitely not. Did it work in Kin? Not really.

Kin follows young adopted boy Eli (Myles Truitt), living with his very strict father (Dennis Quaid) and dealing with the recent death of his mother. Complications sky rocket when Eli’s older, convict brother Jimmy (Jack Reynor) is out of jail and staying in his old house. With a group of dangerous thugs after them, a horrible secret, and a space weapon that Eli found, the pair set an escape plan that is disguised as a road trip.

It’s a family drama and an interesting one, until you hear space gun and you think “huh?”

The truly baffling part is the fact that the film does not support the sci fi aspect or genre it tries to incorporate; Eli finds the gun while rummaging around in an old building, he finds some sort of soldiers there, who are almost dead, and he walks around with the gun, using it in the real world like some kind of tech toy.

Until the very last scene of the film, the audience has no clue what the gun really is or where it came from, and the explanation they get is nothing more than a prelude to a sequel.

The family drama part in itself is very interesting because it is realistic, and the characters are well developed. This is especially true of Jimmy and his father who are quite relatable.

The film was also very aesthetically pleasing, with beautiful artistic shots that not only make the film seem handsomely shot but actually serve the narrative and mood.

As for the acting, Myles Truitt was adequate at best with very minimal reactions and expressions. His character is that of an adopted fourteen-year-old African American boy living in a torn-up family, the fact that not many of the audience truly engaged and sympathised with him says something about his performance. Jack Reynor does well with his fun, bad-boy ghost of Chris Pratt performance and delivered what his role needed, even if it was not with the most charisma. None of the actors match up to Dennis Quaid who just stays with the audience long after the film. Even though his role is not that big, he nails his reactions and oozes charisma.  Playing the eccentrically violent leader of the thugs, James Franco walks the fence between over the top and brilliant, but he trips too many times.

Will it get an Oscar? Probably not.

Is it suitable for a late Tuesday night, especially if you love family dramas? Definitely yes.