Brief History of a Family
There are distinct shades of Saltburn in Jianjie Lin’s sleek psychological drama following a teenager as he worms his way into the affections of his friend’s wealthy parents
Saltburn comparisons are almost inevitable in regards to Jianjie Lin’s psychological drama about a student ingratiating himself into a classmate’s family. Set against the brutally competitive academic backdrop and one-child policy of modern China, the film follows high school student Shuo (Sun Xilun) as he begins spending more and more time at his well-off friend Wei’s (Lin Muran) house, avoiding what he hints are hardships at his own home. Wei’s kind parents are all too happy that their son has companionship – however, cracks soon begin to show as competition infiltrates a relationship neither has thought about defining.
Brief History of a Family follows familiar beats, but given those beats have formed the backdrop for The Talented Mr Ripley and The Secret History, there's at least fascinating character dynamics involved. Furthermore, the cultural specificity lends the story a fresh spin for Western audiences. The production design is sleek, almost sterile, giving the characters nowhere to hide, amplifying the nail-biting atmosphere. Where the film shines most, however, is in its exploration of parental expectation and disappointment and how – even unintentionally – small comments become festering slights.
Families are fragile alliances, despite protestations of unconditional and 'natural' love, and in this pressure cooker of ambiguity, Shuo and Wei have no space to discover themselves without the unanimous and complete support of those in charge of their futures. Although perhaps lacking the concluding punch promised by the premise, Brief History of a Family is worthwhile as a continued meditation on ever-captivating themes of belonging versus standing out.
Released 21 Mar by Blue Finch Film Releasing; certificate 15