One Big Happy Family (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

Rachel (Lisa Brenner) begins to spiral out of control when she learns that her lineage may have been a complete lie. As she attempts to understand her past, both known and unknown, she encounters a series of eccentric individuals, a vindictive and combative mother, Lenore (Linda Lavin), and unbreakable love. One Big Happy Family is sort of based on a true story, and it’s one that will leave your jaw on the floor. 

One Big Happy Family is initially a silly comedy that avoids genuine emotion and often runs the risk of turning viewers off. It oft feels like the cliche indie comedy that hasn’t quite been able to grasp the truth of human emotion–and while that seeps into the narrative, there are moments in which it’s charming–but there’s also more to One Big Happy Family. As the film progresses it begins to include some powerful moments that nearly brought me to tears. Rachel is the one often tasked with presenting viewers with emotion, and effectively combating the simplistic nature of the humor. Others still struggle to present that emotion to viewers, though I’m not sure that they are provided the best opportunity to do so throughout–leaving somewhat of an imbalance in the tone of the film. Those powerful emotional moments still stick, but they exist on a far-lesser scale than the comedy. 

One Big Happy Family both pushes the construct of religion, but also remains open to the variety of religions that exist in the world. Religion is becoming more and more of a hot topic in the mainstream media, often for negative reasons–but with that comes an opportunity for filmmakers to insert that into their films and to curate discussions surrounding the world’s religious beliefs. I found One Big Happy Family to both celebrate and question the validity of religion throughout–and that’s certainly welcome. 

Keeping in tune with the whole of One Big Happy Family, the cast of this film is a motley crew of weirdos. Caricatures of the real world, stereotypical archetypes, and more take the screen and clash with one another as this twisted story is brought to life. The film doesn’t work if not for the insane cast of characters that shouldn’t work together; but their ability to create their own little melting pot of cultures, religions, and aesthetics creates a microcosm of the United States.

The term “biodad” almost feels like a slur, and, while it may never have been intended to be used this way–its almost overuse threw me for a loop. Nearly every time I heard the word, I struggled to look past its implications, and I feel that it stole my attention away from some of the more heartfelt moments in One Big Happy Family. It seems like such a trivial piece of this puzzle, but it weighed heavily on my reception of the film.

One Big Happy Family has a series of issues that plague it throughout. Some of those issues are minor and are ultimately a result of preference, while others (particularly the issue regarding the tone) are occasionally detrimental to the film and its fluidity. One Big Happy Family falters like many of the independent comedies that have come before, but it ultimately becomes a grounded venture through life that feels interestingly honest. 

Directed by Matt Sohn. 

Written by Lisa Brenner. 

Starring Lisa Brenner, Linda Lavin, Dante Basco, Lumi Pollack, Josh Fadem, Kat Cunning, etc. 

6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE