Relationships are one of the core pillars of cinema, and more specifically, the screenplays that enact as the genesis of any given film. What better way to learn about someone than from the bonds they share with other humans? Alas, some projects that make these character dynamics the sole focus of the entire narrative execute it far better than others. By that standard, Father Mother Sister Brother (2025), written and directed by Jim Jarmusch (Coffee and Cigarettes, The Dead Don’t Die), falls into the disappointing latter category. Playing out in a triptych of detached stories about mildly atypical familial bonds, featuring no more than three core characters at any given time, Jarmusch’s latest lacks true substance beyond its premise.
The first part, ‘Father,’ tells the story of what seems like an ordinary, aging father (Tom Waits), as his children, Jeff (Adam Driver) and Emily (Mayim Bialik), visit him for what appears to be the first time in years. ‘Mother’ isn’t so different from its predecessor, observing a traditional English afternoon tea where, you guessed it, a mother (Charlotte Rampling) reunites her two polar opposite daughters, Timothea (Cate Blanchett) and Lilith (Vicky Krieps), for their only meeting within the annum. The final tale diverges from the established format to center on a pair of twin siblings, Billy (Luka Sabbat) and Skye (Indya Moore), who are navigating the sudden loss of their parents.
An Impressive Ensemble is Wasted in Father Mother Sister Brother
Truthfully, there are very few strengths to this film. Its formula is comprised of elements no better than sub-par and no worse than dreadful. With the exception of musician Tom Waits, whose performance as a mumbling, lethargic father is exceedingly convincing, the rest of the ensemble deliver outputs that range from perfectly average to dire, even verging on sitcom-esque line reads in what wants to be a semi-serious dramedy. In both writing and performance, the relationships painfully translate as unnatural when their genuineness is what these stories so desperately crave.
Some cast members especially feel like a fish out of water, notably Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, Corsage), who does little to resemble the daughter of an upper-class British woman, even if she is meant to be the rebellious one of the family. The script goes to great lengths to justify such uncanny decisions. From excusing the lack of Krieps’ attempt at an accent for the character, having lived in Belgium for a short period of time, to inexplicably having an English family living in Dublin, everything in Father Mother Sister Brother comes off as tangibly artificial.
A Narratively Disconnected Anthology
Father Mother Sister Brother struggles to maintain a consistent tone, especially when the first two stories share similar notions attributed to how family members take advantage of each other. The final third of the film is notably dissimilar, though. There is a very odd attempt to tie these tales together that feels nothing but shoehorned in. Rolex watches, common British phrases, slow-motion snippets of kids on skateboards, and sluggish dashcam footage are all poor attempts at making this trifecta whole, when in reality, it lacks any meaningful throughline.
Some of these stories may have been better suited for a shorter format, but none of them work efficiently as a third of a feature. In fact, the payoff to the first story is the only one to really stick the landing; it’s a shame that it draws out its setup, for what is essentially a singular punchline, to the point of fatigue. That’s not to say that there isn’t a world where the length of these stories worked efficiently as a three-piece.
The characters in Father Mother Sister Brother lack discernible depth, as any context about their lives is delivered exclusively through conversations that operate as nothing more than clunky exposition dumps. A prime example is when twins Billy and Skye find a plethora of their recently deceased parents’ IDs from all different states, implying that they very possibly were on the run for something. Yet, nothing ever comes of this potential plotline.
Brief Moments of Witty Humor Can’t Save this Vanity Project
It’s as if every interesting concept that is proposed in Father Mother Sister Brother is entirely futile and carries no weight whatsoever. To have pockets of curiosity burst by a lack of interest in digging deeper into anything the script could have to offer is frustrating on writer-director Jim Jarmusch’s part. What stands when the credits roll is an incredibly exasperating hodgepodge of a film that lacks any sense of purpose or punchiness. Sure, there are a few brief bursts of humor that warrant a light chuckle, but nothing that redeems this sloppiness, which makes this project crumble.
Father Mother Sister Brother won the Golden Lion at the 2025 Venice Film Festival and will be released in theaters on December 25!
Release Date: December 24, 2025.
Directed by Jim Jarmusch.
Written by Jim Jarmusch.
Produced by Charles Gillibert, Joshua Astrachan, Carter Logan, & Atilla Salih Yücer.
Executive Producers: Jim Jarmusch, Alex C. Lo, Efe Cakarel, Niamh Fagan, Zane Meyer, Lorenzo Mieli, Annamaria Morelli, Jason Ropell, & Anthony Vaccarello.
Main Cast: Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, Luka Sabbat, Sarah Greene, & Françoise Lebrun.
Cinematographers: Frederick Elmes & Yorick Le Saux.
Composers: Jim Jarmusch & Anika.
Production Companies: Saint Laurent Productions, Badjetlag, CG Cinéma, Fremantle, Les Films du Losange, Weltkino, Cinema Inutile, Fís Éirann/Screen Ireland, & Hail Mary Pictures.
Distributor: Mubi.
Runtime: 110 minutes.
Rated R.
