Written and directed by Laura Steinel in her directorial debut, Family is a terrifically funny comedy about a workaholic and non-people person who is unexpectedly asked to babysit her adolescent niece by her estranged and more normal brother and what ensues is a very chaotic yet ultimately touching relationship between aunt and niece. Kate, played by the wonderfully comedic Taylor Schilling best known for her role in the hit Netflix TV series Orange Is the New Black, has difficulty relating to people and therefore very begrudgingly agrees to babysit the socially awkward Maddie for one night that eventually turns into a week-long stay. Kate definitely does not have a filter so she quite frankly tells her niece to not be as weird and try to fit in by learning how to deal with bullies in a very non-constructive way. Having to deal with her high stress job that is very much her only life, she initially hates having to take care of Maddie and is a fairly irresponsible babysitter who allows her to hang out with a very odd teenager working at a gas station and become a juggalo, a notoriously wild and sometimes violent fan of the music group Insane Clown Posse. In between some really hilarious scenes, the two begin to have a very loving bond over them both being rather outcasts in society, and Kate finally discovers the importance of family and having a life outside of work. The rest of the cast is surprisedly full of A-listers, including Kate McKinnon, Brian Tyree Henry, and Matt Walsh, who are integral in making a first-rate comedy. Overall, I found it to be an extremely amusing independent comedy that uses the full potential of the extremely talented performers to craft a brilliant debut feature film that will surely launch the career of the filmmaker.
KEITH on Reels 