The Adults is a quietly powerful and deeply observational character study that masterfully captures the awkwardness and unspoken tensions of a family reunion. The film, directed and written by Dustin Guy Defa, follows Eric (Michael Cera), a seemingly aimless man who returns to his hometown for a short visit. His primary mission is to reconnect with his two younger sisters, Rachel (Hannah Gross) and Maggie (Sophia Lillis), whom he hasn't seen in years. What follows is not a grand, dramatic confrontation, but a series of small, mundane, and often profoundly uncomfortable moments that reveal the complex dynamics of their sibling relationship.
From the moment Eric arrives, it's clear that the reunion is fraught with a mix of genuine affection and simmering resentment. He and his sisters have grown into different people, and they struggle to find their old rhythm. Rachel, the eldest, is a teacher who has seemingly found stability, but beneath her calm exterior, there is a deep-seated frustration with her brother's perceived flightiness and his prolonged absence. Gross delivers a nuanced performance, portraying a woman who is both protective of her family and fiercely independent.
Sophia Lillis's portrayal of Maggie, the youngest sister, is a standout. Maggie is still in high school, a bit of an outcast who idolizes her older brother while also resenting his tendency to disappear from her life. She is the one who tries the hardest to bridge the gap between them, but her efforts often fall flat, leading to some of the film's most heartbreaking moments. Her character's youthful idealism and deep-seated pain make her the emotional core of the film.
At the heart of the movie is Michael Cera’s performance as Eric. Cera, in a role that feels both familiar and refreshingly new, eschews his usual fast-talking, anxious persona for something more subdued and internal. Eric is a man trapped in a state of arrested development, a character who can't seem to move on from his past while simultaneously running away from it. He's a man of few words, and Cera's ability to convey a world of regret and longing with a simple glance or a hesitant shrug is what makes the performance so compelling. His character's main coping mechanism is a series of elaborate, childlike games he attempts to rope his sisters into, a poignant and sometimes pathetic way of trying to return to a simpler time.
The film is not driven by a strong plot but rather by its atmosphere and the subtle shifts in its character relationships. The conversations are often stilted and filled with long, meaningful silences. We learn about the characters not through exposition, but through their actions and their inability to communicate what they truly feel. The film beautifully captures the feeling of being an outsider in a place that used to be home, a sentiment that many people can relate to.
Defa's direction is a masterclass in subtlety. He uses a static camera and a naturalistic visual style that makes the audience feel like they are a fly on the wall, observing real people in real time. The film's tone is a delicate balance of humor and melancholy. There are moments of genuine laughter, often stemming from the characters' awkward attempts to connect, but these are always tinged with a deep sadness. The Adults is a film that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt a chasm grow between themselves and the people they once knew best. It's a small, intimate film with a large emotional footprint.
The Adults is a 2023 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes.
It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.7 and a MetaScore of 73.
