Summary
6 tech score
“Kin” (Summit Entertainment)
A few months ago a movie was released titled “Upgrade”. I went to see it and thought it was amazing. The reason I was so impressed was it had a totally original concept and execution.This year in particular Hollywood has had a hard time accepting the fact audiences are hungry for something other than sequels, prequels, reboots and remakes. Now I have viewed “Kin” and that appreciation for originality is again filling my brain. “Kin” is no “Upgrade” but it outshines a lot of other movies on the scene these days.
“Kin” focuses on a black teen Eli (Myles Truitt) who lives with his adoptive father Hal (Dennis Quaid). Eli has had some troubles at school and has been suspended. Hal says if he is not in school he has to work, so he assigns him odd jobs to keep him busy. Eli would rather steal copper tubing from old buildings instead of odd jobs. This is what he is doing when he finds a group of dead soldiers and takes one of their weapons.
Meanwhile Jimmy (Jack Reynor) shows up at home. He is Hal’s son and therefore Eli’s brother. Jimmy has just gotten out of prison and when he comes home he brings trouble with him. It seems he is in debt to lowlife Taylor Balik (James Franco) for sixty thousand f]dollars, This was accrued by his getting protection in prison.
Things go sour fast and it ends up with Jimmy and Eli on the run with Taylor in hot pursuit. All they have is their wits and the weapon Eli found. Seems it was owned by persons from another dimension and can do wondrous things. When this is revealed the movie verges on “Stranger Things” territory.
Directors Jonathan and Josh Baker also wrote the script with Daniel Casey. They know how to keep the action running and also how to make it quirky enough to feel fresh while still holding on to some basic elements of a “chase” movie. Plus they are geniuses at getting the right actors in the right roles.
At one time or another Carrie Coon, Zoe Saldana and Michael B Jordan appear. They all do their roles with expertise. Franco is also top notch as he once again makes being slimy look easy. Reynor could create an all good or all bad character but he plays it down the middle and keeps you guessing.
Still the burden of carrying the movie rests on the shoulders of Truitt and he is more than up to the job. He plays Eli as a true fourteen year old which means sometimes he acts mature and sometimes he acts like a kid. It is a breakout performance and should lead to bigger and better roles for this young actor.
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.
There are errors in this film to be sure. Some plot occurrences are just too convenient, and Franco does ham it up from time to time. But there are a lot of positives, the top one being originality. Take a chance on “Kin.” It will surprise you and that’s a good thing.
I scored “Kin” a related 6 out of 10.
Jackie K Cooper
www.jackiekcooper.com
