Director Florian Zeller has followed up the Oscar-awarded The Father with The Son. Both works are part of his French trilogy of plays Le Père, La Mère and Le Fils, which center around emotional family dynamics. Zeller has adapted the script for The Son from the French original Le Fils with Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Atonement). Coming off the heels of The Father with this reunited and lauded artistic team, a moviegoer might expect a sincere and thoughtful film. Although it deals with the sensitive subject of depression and its effect on interpersonal relationships, the film barely skims the surface and gives a lackluster look into a family's impatience with depression.
Nicholas Miller's, (Zen McGrath), parents have divorced, and he decides he wants to live with his father, who is living with his partner Beth (The Crown's Vanessa Kirby) and their new baby. Peter (Hugh Jackman) tries to avoid his son's red flags, hoping that his depression, the same that Peter had when he was young, will disappear. His mother (Laura Dern) is in turmoil because, in a deep depression, Nicholas has been cutting school. At one point, Peter goes to his father (played by Anthony Hopkins, who won the Oscar for playing the same role in The Father) for advice about Nicholas, who tells him to get over it. Peter realizes that he should do better for his son than his father did for him.
Where the script is less effective at creating searing emotional moments, Jackman is compelling, especially in a cameo scene with Hopkins. Their back-and-forth is a masterclass in acting. Audiences can enjoy watching him shed the guise of an action-hero into a less likable, grounded character who is somehow more enjoyable. He's good in this role, and more serious roles for Jackman would be refreshing. Dern and Kirby are both terrific actresses and try to make the most of each sorrowful word of their roles which are sadly underwritten. McGrath is good, and viewers are likely to enjoy much more of this young actor in the future.
Zeller is lucky to have casting director Nicola Chisholm (Gunpowder Milkshake), who has a gift for putting just the right puzzle pieces together. The discovery of newcomer McGrath paid off. Adding to the right tone is the majestic sound of Academy Award Winner Hans Zimmer (The Lion King). Although it boasts an excellent creative team and cast, the running time of two hours and three minutes should have more substance for an audience eager to see the follow-up to its highly acclaimed predecessor.