Kin (2018) - A melting pot that goes nowhere - 5/10 (03/10/18)

Kin is a dystopian science-fiction movie and coming-of-age drama. This interesting genre combination has recently been working quite well for a number of great movies like The Giver. However, it isn't the case for Kin. The film wastes a lot of potential and is average at best.

On the positive side, the characters and settings are solid. Eli comes from a broken home with a criminal stepbrother and a single dad which makes him already more complex, intriguing and realistic than most protagonists in similar films. Eli lives in a city that is as broken as his social life as he strolls through junkyards in Detroit and is already involved in minor criminal activities despite his young age. On his journey across the country to run away from criminals of all kinds and protect a mysterious weapon he has found by coincidence, Eli finds himself in strip clubs, prisons and casinos where he meets more mysterious and sinister characters. These locations certainly aren't appropriate for younger audiences and one has to wonder whether this movie has a target audience at all.

On the negative side, the movie has a dull pace and uninteresting story that leaves many unanswered questions. Despite its short length, the movie feels stretched and especially the exposition and rising action take too much time to unfold. As soon as the movie gets more interesting, it already ends and hints at a possible sequel. If you don't want to watch a movie without a proper conclusion, you shouldn't give Kin a chance in the first place. The story seems intriguing at first but leaves too many questions unanswered. While the movie has an overall gloomy and realistic touch, the last fifteen minutes drift so much into the realm of science-fiction that it makes the film inconclusive or even confusing. The film also seems to be build upon cameo appearances as interesting characters are introduced, have a few minutes of screen time and vanish soon after or are only shown in a few unimportant scenes. Eli and his stepbrother are followed by a group of thugs, a pimp and his associates, a group of people with seemingly supernatural abilities, the police and even the Federal Bureau of Investigation. After a dull start, too many things are crammed into the film's second half and the rapid storytelling just isn't satisfactory.

Kin would have had the potential to be an above average or even great movie if it had taken its time to build upon the different characters, groups and stories. Instead, everything is thrown into a melting pot and unfolds as a film that goes nowhere and fails to offer a proper conclusion. Kin isn't the worst movie of its kind but painfully average despite its initial promise. I wouldn't watch it again and wouldn't recommend it either.