Kin

Every now I see previews for a movie that released and seemingly never heard from again. I get why this happens. Studios try to generate buzz about an unknown quantity and it doesn't always work. As such I try to track said movies down to give them a highlight, whether I liked them or not. With that in mind here's Kin a sci-fi action movie about a pre-teen who discovers an alien weapon.

The movie follows Eli, a troubled youth who discovers an alien weapon. Though content to keep it to himself, Eli's brother Jimmy believes it could be their salvation and concocts a scheme to solve their problems. But a vengeful gangster is hot on their trail and looking for blood.

It's easy to see why people signed up for this movie...and why it doesn't work.

The visual effects and action beats are stellar. The choreography and camerawork is excellent and I like how the alien gun seems to adapt to the needs of the user. Sometimes it'll send out enough force to tear down a wall, another time it'll throw someone across a room. This is all communicated visually through how the weapon changes (either in how Eli holds it or how it lights up). It's pretty fun.

And this movie is stacked with talented people including Jack Reynor (as the semi-relatable but still a bit of a skumbag older brother), Dennis Quaid brings parentla gravitas, and James Franco gives his gangster appropriate menace and meaning.

The movie's main problem is it's tone. Based on the setup you'd assume this a familiar adventure with action beats, fantastical elements to match the emotions of a young man, and so forth. The plot, especially some late reveals, lean heavily on the kid-centric adventures of the eighties where our special hero goes on a journey of self-discovery.

Unfortunately this story is thrown together with a gritty crime drama.

I could tell this was going to be a problem from the lighting and cinematography. Most movies aimed at kids have bright colors and take place during the day. Even the scenes are night are brightly shot. Almost all of Kin takes place at night with dim Fincher-esque lighting. Everything is covered in shadows. Everyone's skin looks a little green. The world of Kin looks gross and ugly.

And that's before we throw a middle schooler into an adult crime drama featuring gun toting gangsters, murder, robbery, a jaded stripper, and death. It's two dissonant stories that don't work, at least not like this.

That's not to say it can't be done. Movies like Pan's Labyrinth do a great job of adding fantastical/horrifying elements to childhood trauma in a meaningful and effective way. But it doesn't work if the alien weapon shootouts feel like the Terminator's assault on a police station.

Verdict: Fun in Spots But A Tonal Mess

As fun as certain elements of Kin are its disparate tones and imagery don't mix. 4/10.