Florian Zeller wrote/directed his play The Father as a movie starring Anthony Hopkins with outstanding results (my review). This 2nd drama focuses on his son (Hugh Jackman), who’s having issues with his own son (Zen McGrath). Hopkins does have one scene in this film, but the focus is on this young family and the son’s depression, which gets deeper and more troubling as his parents struggle to support and understand him. Sadly, the kid’s despair continually overshadows the story to the extent that it becomes rather tedious. This gloom is exacerbated by the tedious shots of actors soulfully staring into space. Jackman is trying his best, but never musters up any real depth or empathy. As the mother, Laura Dern tries to be soulful and McGrath captures the grim, miserable character with lots of tears. While the subject of mental health is certainly an important and pertinent issue, this approach drowns itself in dreary while staying shallow on dramatic impact. 
(1.5 / 5)
