A Family Affair (2024) Review

RATING: 5/10

NETFLIX has an awful habit of churning out movies and programs that manage to be both bland and uninspired. And while I would love to say A Family Affair breaks this monotonous cycle, Zac Efron's latest rom-com is exactly what you would expect it to be: a relaxing timewaster that's in no way worth a rewatch.

Hollywood movie star Chris Cole (Zac Efron) is the epitome of self-indulgence, always playing into his ego and never caring about anyone but himself. However, his life begins to change upon meeting the woman of his dreams - Brooke Harwood (Nicole Kidman). All seems to be going well for the megastar - except for the fact that he soon realises that his newfound love is the mother of his personal assistant Zara (Joey King). Understandably mortified, Zara must now come to terms with the fact that her egocentric boss is dating her naive mother; a situation which leads all three to uncover new and complicated feelings about themselves.

Despite featuring an accomplished cast in the form of Efron, King and Kidman, the trio aren't given much to work with, feeling wasted in this played-out romantic comedy. A Family Affair builds the idea that Brooke and Chris possess once-in-a-lifetime chemistry with each other, but instead they come off as being awkward at the best of times and boring at the worst, turning what should've been a charming lover's quarrel into just your average quarrel. Zoey King does her best to carry these veteran actors, but her contributions feel wasted in this lifeless script. Her commitment to the role is palpable and greatly enhances the movie - just not enough to carry the entirety of Netflix's romantic misstep.

The world's most popular streaming service continually attempts to create the next big rom-com, and time and time again, they fail to capture the attention of their ever-loyal subscribers. A Family Affair feels like a movie that should have been released 20 years ago due to its mundane writing, trivial concept, and safely-selected cast. While the film works conceptually, in reality, Netflix's latest rom-com fails to deliver on its two core concepts: romance and comedy.