The Wasteland Reviewer

Father Mother Sister Brother (2025) Written Review

How challenging can relationships between parents and their children be? It would be nice if every person had a loving and meaningful relationship with their parents. Unfortunately, this is far from reality. Acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch explores these complex dynamics in his latest film, an anthology film coming to theaters during the holiday season. This is about three separate families and the distance between parents and their adult children. Two siblings are visiting their estranged father. Two sisters visiting their distant, writer mother. A brother and sister reflect on their parents passing while in Paris. Jarmusch is here with his unique voice to tell these assorted tales. 

How does Jarmusch present these different stories from behind the camera? The visual approach that Jarmusch takes for this film is not the most engaging. There is a basic vibe to photography, and some moments feel quite artificial. Whenever characters are in the car, it looks inorganic and it feels like a couple of actors having a conversation. There is also a subdued atmosphere that the film has which makes it a bit challenging to truly connect to the characters and their experiences. Jarmusch’s approach certainly feels like it is meant to capture the mundane subject matter but too much of the drama is lost in the subtext. The overall vibe is quite dry as well with muted presentations and performances across the board. For a film that closes in two hours, the pacing is quite methodical and struggles to keep the attention throughout the runtime. Jarmusch has been more creative and bolder in some of his other works, but Father Mother Sister Brother just lacks a real bite to it. 

Do these actual stories at least deliver some engaging and intriguing drama? On the surface, there is plenty of dramatic potential. Relationships between parents and their children can get quite toxic. But a lot of what Jarmusch explores in this film is the awkwardness of reconnecting after a long time. That feels accurate to the first two stories for sure as they explore distant or estranged relationships. You can tell that everyone involved is trying to make the most of the situation but there are some underlying tensions and discomfort between the lines. These stories are quite dialogue heavy as they lean into confined spaces and grounded conversations. Father Mother Sister Brother might be the type of film that grows on you with subsequent viewings as there is so much subtlety in the way the characters engage with each other. But that idea might frustrate many audience members. 

How do the cast leverage their skills to bring these stories to life? This cast lives so well in the awkwardness and discomfort. Adam Driver excels in his performance as a real standout in the film. His subtle acting choices as he reacts to all the awkwardness between himself, his sister, and father. There are so many layers you can see him working on. Mayim Bialik and Tom Waits do a fine job too in that opening story. The most all-around effective group is Charlotte Rampling (mother), Cate Blanchett (daughter), and Vicky Krieps (daughter). They deliver such impactful performances and their dynamic with each other digs deeper than the mundane in the script. The final story has a pair of solid turns from Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat. Reserved yet effective, their chemistry as siblings works well as they explore the mysteries of their parents (who are no longer living). There is a bit of nostalgia and connection that makes this last story different even if it is not as engrossing as the others. 

Does Jarmusch have another feather to stick in his directorial cap? This might not be one of his strongest efforts, but it does have an intriguing concept, structure, and cast. There are a lot of ideas and elements that are underneath the surface. The restraint and dry atmosphere might hide from at first glance, but Jarmusch layers them in. An overall effective cast delivers an engaging enough experience to connect with.