Film review: 'The Family Fang'

Films about dysfunctional families can make us feel good about our own in comparison. "The Family Fang" is one such film, but it goes way beyond typical familial conflict. It's deliciously dark, unpredictable and bitterly biting.

Based on Kevin Wilson's best-selling novel of the same name, the film stars Jason Bateman and Nicole Kidman as siblings Baxter and Annie Fang. Their parents, Caleb (Christopher Walken) and Camille (Maryann Plunkett), are well-known performance artists who enlist Baxter and Annie in their off-beat pranks, starting in early childhood. In their adult lives Annie has turned to acting, and Baxter pursued a career in writing. 

Caleb's take on life, which he's passed onto his children, is, "If you're in control, the chaos will happen around you, and not to you." As of late, Baxter has been shot in the head by a supercharged potato gun while on assignment; Annie has been targeted by the tabloids for excessive drinking and a topless shot in her latest film.

These two are obviously not in control.

In the midst of the chaos, police suddenly show up at the door to inform Annie and Baxter that their parents might have been murdered by a serial killer. The siblings have very different takes on what might've occurred. Annie thinks it's a well-contrived ruse, while Baxter is deeply concerned.

There's so much going on in "The Family Fang," it's nearly impossible to dissect. But it's definitely a great watch. The performances couldn't better. Bateman's signature deadpan countenances are over the top, and Walken's unique brand of delivering lines is the most effective it's ever been (he received a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival, after the screening). Kidman always gets it right, and the family chemistry — or lack thereof — is dynamic.

Bateman directs this mold-breaking, brilliant piece of filmmaking. He superbly balances insanity with a strong dose of humor. In the opening scene, the Fangs are pulling off a prank in a bank. It's a startling punk and brashly hilarious.

Once you're in on the joke, you're hooked and eager to get the next fix — ASAP.