Complicated sibling relationships are the basis of Dustin Guy Defa’s The Adults. The film depicts the emotional journey of three siblings — played by Michael Cera, Hannah Gross and Sophia Lillis — reuniting after their mother’s death, a scenario that, while rife with potential conflict, also presents an opportunity for reconnection, understanding and healing. As Defa portrays, such a reunion can cause the distance that has grown between siblings over time to become painfully real.
Eric (Cera) is back in town in order to see his friend’s baby. He’s only there for two days and goes to see his two sisters, Maggie (Lillis) and Rachel (Gross), in the meantime; they’ve been estranged for three years. He has a gambling addiction, Maggie dropped out of college, and Rachel is bitter post-breakup. As children, the trio aspired to be a family music act; now these people couldn’t be more different — they don’t even look related. There’s an awkwardness lingering within their relationship: Eric and Rachel talk to one another with sarcasm and disdain, and Maggie tries to make things work by gushing about childhood memories to bring some joy to their brief time together.
Eric loses money in a pick-up poker game and since he can’t help himself, opts to stay longer to play other games for more money. He goes to Maggie’s place where they chat about why she’s quit college. He’s concerned she made the wrong choice but she claims she has everything under control. They take a trip to the zoo, where he finds out his sister suffers from anxiety. Things are stressed because Eric left his sisters to care for their mother, and Rachel isn’t sure why Eric is still there. What she doesn’t know is it’s the gambling that’s causing him to stay.
At its core, The Adults is an exploration of the subtle, often quiet aspects of grief and suffering. While the story doesn’t outwardly confront its central themes, Defa’s handling of the narrative allows for a gradual unfolding of the character traumas and their individual processes of healing. Whether it’s Eric’s addiction to gambling, Maggie’s stoic acceptance or Rachel’s struggle with self-discovery, it can lead to reconnection.
A major strength of the film lies in its portrayal of how the estranged siblings evolve as individuals due to their circumstances as they reacquaint themselves with each other. What once was a childhood bond morphs into an adult relationship fraught with unspoken pain. Defa provides glimmers of shared childhood memories and mutual understanding, indicating that a path to reconciliation might be possible.
In a cinematic landscape teeming with grand narratives and larger-than-life characters, The Adults offers a welcome departure — a quiet yet powerful exploration of human emotions. It gently nudges the viewer to reflect on their own relationships and to appreciate the impact of trauma that is a pivotal part of adulthood, and reinforces that those hardships don’t have taken on alone. Its a testament to the transformative power of cinema, and a remainder of the importance of authentic, empathetic storytelling.
Title: The Adults
Festival: Tribeca (Spotlight Narrative)
Distributor: LD Entertainment
Director-screenwriter: Dustin Guy Defa
Cast: Michael Cera, Hannah Gross, Sophia Lillis
Running time: 1 hr 31 min