THE SON – A Review by John Strange
Stories of broken homes where the father cheats on his wife, marries his new trophy wife following the divorce, and has a new family (children) are dime-a-dozen. We always hope that the writer has found something new to enhance the story. Anything that can give us a deeper understanding of what the characters are experiencing is both desired and appreciated.
The Son, starring Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern, is sadly predictable. Nicholas Miller (Zen McGrath) is a stereotypical broken son pulling on viewers’ heartstrings as he tries to deal with the issues thrown in his lap by his parents.
This is a dark film filled with characters that could be the folks living next door. If you have any empathy, you will find this film difficult to sit through. Good acting can’t beat an okay script. The Son is a 2-star film.
Director: Florian Zeller
Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, William Hope, Hugh Quarshie, Gretchen Egolf, Joseph Mydell, Zen McGrath, Akie Kotabe, Isaura Barbé-Brown, Erick Hayden, Nancy Baldwin, George Potts, Rachel Handshaw, Shin-Fei Chen, Danielle Lewis, George Cobell, Alex Mugnaioni
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for mature thematic content involving suicide, and strong language)
Selig Rating: 2 Stars
Runtime: 123 Min.
Release Date: 01/20/2023
Local Release Locations: Angelika Film Center & Café (Dallas), AMC Stonebriar 24 (Frisco), Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth, AMC Firewheel 18 (Garland), AMC Grapevine Mills 30 (Grapevine), Angelika Film Center & Café (Plano), Legacy 24 (Plano)
Language: English
Movie Site: THE SON Official Website
Trailer: THE SON Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
