Growing up and accepting the realities of life is a challenge for every human being. There are tough choices to be made, lots of critical thinking to do, and even frustrating people that we must put up with.
The Adults covers aspects of these essential challenges and presents a full range of human and sibling emotions. It takes viewers down and then lifts them back up.
The film serves as a reminder to keep the ones we love close. The Adults is a dark comedy, but the darkness serves a key role in the film’s central element because of how it lingers through the film’s dramatic rhythm of emotions. The pot is stirred with mixed feelings which results in a one-of-a-kind drama representing sibling life.
The film introduces us to Eric (played by Michael Cera). He comes home to visit his sisters in the suburbs of New York. Eric is a man of a few words who suffers with a gambling addiction. His sisters are Rachel and Maggie (played by Hannah Gross and Sophia Lillis).
Rachel remains living in their deceased mother’s house. Maggie lives local to Rachel and struggles to get her act together. Eric is back home trying to reconcile with his sisters. Sadly though, he is still engaged with his gambling habit. During the day he spends time with his sisters, and at night he plays poker games.
The siblings each experience highs and lows as they all stumble and make errors. The film begins to go down a dramatic hole when Eric realizes the many mistakes he was previously unaware of involving his sisters.
The Adults is a story about how difficult it can be to come to terms with reality. The world and all its complications is not pretty for Eric, Rachel, and Maggie. Their mom’s passing has taken a toll on all of them.
Eric, however, has been relatively dismissive of the many challenges that Rachel and Maggie have been dealing with. Frankly, it is more a case of extremely poor communication between the three of them. Being communicative serves a purpose in The Adults and it also serves a vital purpose in a successful life. The disagreements in the film’s script are handled in a stellar, very effective manner in The Adults. It is a vivid and realistic film where sibling love goes a long way.
After watching The Adults, I realized that the film made me feel good, even though it was melancholy. I believe that feeling came from the fact that Eric tries to reconnect with his sisters. Despite his gambling addiction and his ego, he still cares about them and it is clear that Rachel and Maggie care as well. It is just that their own frustrations and past problems continue to create a mental block due to the sadness they’re suffering. There is a light in The Adults. What do the siblings need to sacrifice to find it? Can they remain close? Find out in The Adults.
Three out of four stars.
Now streaming.
