‘The Weekend’ Tribeca 2024 Review: Can You Ever Really Escape Your Toxic Family?
Families can be great, but they can also be messy, dysfunctional, and weird as hell. And because many cultures across the globe place so much emphasis on family—specifically family of origin—the topic is often complicated to talk about when your family is less than picture-perfect. It’s especially difficult when you either don’t have a family of origin, or you’re estranged from them.
The Weekend (directed by Daniel Oriahi and written by Vanessa Kanu, Freddie O. Anyaegbunam Jr., and Egbemawai Dimiyei Sammy) tells the story of a toxic family and explores how dysfunctional dynamics are hard to break away from…and can be so easy to be pulled back into.
Luc’s (Bucci Franklin) life is disrupted by a call from his estranged mother. She found out that he had recently gotten engaged and is distraught that he didn’t call his parents to share the news himself. She begs him to come back to his childhood home for the weekend to celebrate his parents’ anniversary.
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Meanwhile, Luc’s fiancée, Nikiya (Uzoamaka Aniunoh), has doubts about their future because she has never met his family. The only child of a now-deceased single mother who also had no familial network, Nikiya longs for a place in a traditional family. It’s even more important to her now because she just learned she’s pregnant. Nikiya doesn’t understand why Luc doesn’t speak with his family—mostly because Luc has never told her the reasons for the estrangement.
After a fraught argument that nearly ends their relationship, Luc gives in and relays his mother’s invitation. The two pack their bags to spend the weekend with Luc’s family. Nikiya is excited. Luc is not.
Luc’s mother (Gloria Young) and father (Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey) greet them warmly when they arrive at the village where Luc grew up. They immediately welcome Nikiya into their family. Nikiya meets Luc’s sister (Meg Otanwa), who has brought her abusive and openly misogynistic boyfriend (James Gardinergh) with her.
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The initial meeting fills Nikiya with hope for a reconciliation between Luc and his family. But things quickly go south. Before the weekend is through, the horrible truth about Luc’s family comes to light.
Although it has a promising premise, The Weekend doesn’t come together as well as it could have. The pacing is slow throughout the entire film. Overly expository dialogue drags it out further. Characters often describe the actions that played out in preceding scenes and explain their motives and thoughts in a manner so precise it leaves no room for nuance. The final act, although climactic, stretches on for far too long.
Despite these issues, The Weekend succeeds in a few areas. Some moments in the film are darkly funny and satisfying. All of the actors are clearly skilled and each played their role with sincerity. And the set design is visually interesting, blending traditional Nigerian art with modern accouterments.
Summary
‘The Weekend’ has an interesting premise, but tedious dialogue makes the pacing drag.
