The Son: LFF Film Review
Florian Zeller‘s The Father – which landed Anthony Hopkins an Oscar – was one of my favourite films of 2020 and so my hopes were high for his follow-up, The Son, but the reviews have been decidedly mixed for a very good reason.
The film, adapted from Zeller’s play of the same name (which I saw a few years ago), is told from the perspective of Peter (Hugh Jackman), a high-powered lawyer considering moving into politics. He left his wife Kate (Laura Dern) for Beth (Vanessa Kirby) a couple of years ago and is focused on his new son, baby Theo. One day, Kate comes to Peter and expresses her concern for their 17-year-old son Nicholas (Zen McGrath) and it’s agreed that Nicholas should move in with Peter’s new family as they believe the change of scenery will help his mental health issues.
My biggest problem with The Son is the acting. I love Jackman so much but this proves he has his limitations because his work here is simply not good enough. This is an extremely serious, emotionally-charged, devastating role – something he doesn’t get to do much – and it needed a tour de force performance, especially in a few big scenes, and he just didn’t bring the goods. His standard of acting did not match the level required here.
I know he’s only a newcomer, but I had the same issue with McGrath. He is the titular character and the story revolves around him being this troubled, unstable, deeply depressed boy who is a risk to himself. I just didn’t believe it because it felt obvious that he was acting rather than inhibiting the character in a convincing way. Kirby and Dern are absolutely terrific and I have no complaints about them, and Hopkins is chilling as Peter’s cruel father in one memorable scene.
The Son is very bleak and depressing and should have been a really moving, emotional experience but it’s not. I didn’t feel anything. I largely place the blame on the acting but I think the writing is also at fault because it didn’t hit me emotionally when I saw the play either and the performances were excellent then. Perhaps seeing the play didn’t help me either because it removed all sense of surprise and suspense – I could remember clearly how it ends. And, this is a bit of a random sidebar, but I disliked the flashbacks to a happy family when Nicholas was young – it was not needed and didn’t pack the gut punch Zeller clearly hoped for.
I have seen some criticisms of the way mental health is treated in this movie. I do not come from a place of personal experience so I’m not the most informed but I think the attitudes are outdated because it’s told from Peter’s perspective. He is a busy man who hasn’t paid enough attention to the signs and is dismissive of Nicholas’ behaviour; convinced it’s a phase and he’ll grow out of it.
The Son is a real disappointment and a big step down from Zeller’s Oscars-worthy The Father. What a shame.
Originally seen as part of the London Film Festival. In cinemas from Friday 17th February