ADULTHOOD
(director: Alex Wint Coleilaer; screenwriter: Michael M.B. Galvin; cinematographer: Christopher Mably; editor: Sandy Pereira; music: Paul Leonard Morgan; cast: Josh Gad (Noah), Alex Winter (Doug Metger), Kaya Scodelario (Meg), Billie Lourd (Grace), Anthony Carrigan (Bodie Geller), Ingunn Omholt (Judy Robles), Camille James (Detective Zell), Sean Simms (T’Shawn), Chris Candy (Joe); Runtime: 98; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Scott Kroopf, Alex Winter, Russell Hollander, Lisa Wolofsky, Michael Cho, Tim Lee, Danny Roberts, Jackie Langelier, H.S. Naji; Olive Hill Media/Republic Pictures and Paramount; 2025)
“Stops being plausible.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Alex Winter (“The Panama Papers”/”Zappa”) directs and stars in this so-so neo-noir suburban comedy. It’s written as a black comedy by Michael M.B. Galvin, but is not funny, the narrative is dull, the characters are thinly drawn, and the dialogue is not good.
When their elderly mother Judy (Ingunn Omholt) is hospitalized with a stroke, two adult siblings, Meg Robles Vargas (Kaya Scodelario) and Noah Robles (Josh Gad), return to their childhood home to check on their mom’s house. Meg is married with a diabetic child and is an owner of a small marketing business operation in her hometown. Noah is a failed L.A. screenwriter, who has his eye on inheriting his share of the money when mom dies.
They find when cleaning up a decayed body in the basement. The corpse turns out to be of a neighbor who disappeared 30 years ago. Thinking mom and their late father might be involved in a crime, they dump the body in a nearby lake. But some science students find it a few days later and notify the police. This leads to Detective Zell (Camille James) investigating.
When mom’s homecare nurse Grace (Billie Lourd) learns of the investigation, she asks the siblings for $10,000 to remain silent. Thereby the siblings cover their tracks, instead of calling the police.
When harassed further, the siblings seek help from their eccentric cousin Bodie (Anthony Carrigan) to intimidate their blackmailer. Grace counters with her muscle man, the hulking big man T’Shawn (Sean Simms).
Doug (Alex Winter) is the dead neighbor’s son, who makes an appearance.
The story stops being plausible and becomes labored, as it resorts to violence. This is a Coen’s brother wannabe film that shoots itself in the foot.
It played at the Toronto Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 9/15/2025 GRADE: C+
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