Mother Father Sister Brother Frank (2024) Review

Joy and Jerry Jennings (played by Mindy Cohn and Enrico Colantoni respectively) are, as usual, hosting daughter Jolene (Melanie Leishman) and son Jim (Iain Stewart) for Sunday dinner. Recently, it seems like the four are getting together out of duty rather than anything else and this particular meet up is further strained by the fact that all four of them seem to have something they’d rather not tell anyone. Matters are made much worse by the unexpected arrival of Jerry’s brother Frank (an effectively loathsome Juan Chioran), a dreadful bigot with a nasty surprise for his relatives, a surprise which has them contemplating murder…

Writer/director Caden Douglas mixes a bunch of the wholesome with a pinch of the wholly inappropriate, introducing us to a quartet whose outwardly mundane lives cover a series of shambolic decisions which have left them all facing various quandaries, all exacerbated by the unwelcome appearance of an off-grid misanthrope who instantly rests his muddy boots on the table and makes sure to take time out from being stupendously sexist to Jolene in order to be horrifically homophobic to Jim. Everyone in the place – and I’d venture, everyone in the audience – wants Frank dead, but do these cosy suburban types have murder in their lockers?

Yes, it’s escalating nightmare territory once again but Mother Father Sister Brother Frank embraces its comedic side to such an extent that even the most gruesome moments are presented with a disarming playfulness. The action is amusingly clumsy as the Jennings clan discover just how tough it can be to carry out a dastardly plan, not helped one little bit by the interruptions of a succession of unwanted guests to the house, including inquisitive neighbour Ronda (Sharron Matthews) and Jim’s flamboyant husband, known as “Shifty Pete” (Izad Etemadi). Shifty or not, Pete and Jim have hit a rocky path in their relationship and, of course, Pete has chosen exactly the wrong time to confront his spouse.

Each of the Jennings folk is exceptionally flawed but undeniably likeable, especially when we’re let into why each one of them seems twitchy at first glance. Small screen stalwarts Cohn and Colantoni make for a winning parental combination, Joy’s constant stream of inane sidebars and Jerry’s delight at picking up a bargain from the sale items at Costco striking a chord with anyone who’s headed back to their childhood homes for a regular bridging of the generation gap.

Leishman is a droll delight, bringing the reality checks to the proceedings as the stubbornly single, quietly smart Jolene and rounding off our sometimes happy family is Stewart, given the most prominent character arc and the most unexpected reveal as someone who doesn’t necessarily have to “man up”, because that’s something this family would never impose, but needs to come to terms with several crises all at once, including whether or not he can wield an axe.

As the final act kicks into gear the story switches to high farce and runs the risk of becoming a little too silly but the performances and the good natured humour carry it through some of the more obvious gags, including the initially swearing averse Joy unleashing her potty mouth and Ronda’s curious dog developing an interest in a severed body part. By the time the plot has reached peak hysteria, it feels like only a ridiculous denouement will do and one is duly served up.

Mother Father Sister Brother Frank could have easily headed down a dark path but the air of Canadian conviviality breezing through the increasingly twisted tale means that the viewer will spend most of the time with a smile on their face. Does the family who plans to slay together, stay together? There’s plenty of fun to be had finding out. Horror comedy is always difficult to get right and the light touch employed here may discourage those looking for something truly grim but I would urge those to give it a chance and succumb to its charms. It’s sweet, unlike Frank, it’s a pleasure to be in its company, unlike Frank, and at eighty-five minutes, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, unlike Frank. An early treat for 2025.

Movie Rating:

Mother Father Sister Brother Frank trailer