Saw this at the Imagine film festival 2023 in Amsterdam. Very tense and very surprising due to many unexpected turns of events it offers. From the start, the story could go in many directions, none of which seem actually pursued while the story develops, so surprise after surprise can be expected.
Ample plot elements are available. Take the lesbian couple bringing a "surprise" visit to the family of one of them, after losing contact three years ago. They carry an adopted black baby with them. The former room of the daughter proves occupied by a woman who is treated as a replacement, who also wears her clothes. Many things happen before and during the Christmas meal. Remarkably, an aunt and uncle who attended each and every foregoing year, were not invited. Instead, non-family members are welcomed as VIP guests.
Feeling alienated and unwelcome is the main observation. Near the finale I had reminiscences (incorrect, in hindsight) of Get Out (Jordan Peele 2017), possible misled by the black boy they brought along (casted a black baby here on purpose?). I was wrong, as developments went in a totally different direction. I cannot reveal anything further without giving away the ending.
When leaving the venue, I scored 5/5 for the audience award. All in all: tense, unexpected developments, ample ingredients to keep us guessing how the story would proceed, and finally surprising us with a totally different outcome. Sufficiently complex but not overly convoluted.
