‘Birthright’ Review: Going Home Is Hell [Tribeca 2025]
Zoey Pepper’s Birthright follows Cory (Travis Jeffery) as he moves back into his parents’ home with his pregnant wife, Jasmine ( Maria Angelico). There is a constant push and pull for power and respect in the house as each couple takes extreme actions to stake their claim. Birthright is listed as a comedy-thriller, but it feels more like a black comedy. Yes, the tensions are high and the situation is stressful, but the film leans more into the humor than anything else.
I recommend checking out Birthright, but not for the thrills; check it for the humor and relatability. A lot of millennials will be able to connect with the feeling of working hard, but never being able to find the financial stability society said would come. Working every day, just to be swallowed up by circumstances, is the true horror story. The movie blends comedy into the very real and frustrating situation of having to go home when you aren’t welcome.
Much of the humor hinges on the back and forth between Cory and his parents, Lyn (Linda Cropper) and Richard (Michael Hurst). We start the movie after Cory has lost his job and housing. So, he and Jasmine are packing everything up. When they pull up to his parents’ house, it’s clear that he hadn’t discussed any of the arrangements in advance. We understand why, once we are introduced to Lyn and Richard, who do not hide their disappointment in their son.
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Throughout Birthright, his parents make sly remarks about his choices and directly blame him for his misfortunes. They question his performance at work and scold him for getting an art degree. They also make it known that they don’t care for Jasmine. Lyn is convinced that Jasmine married Cory for his money (but he doesn’t have any_). They insinuate that Jasmine is dead weight when she’s just on (unpaid) maternity leave. It doesn’t help that Jasmine keeps freely “borrowing” things.
Cory and Jasmine are hard workers, but Cory’s parents fail to realize how quickly one can go under in this economy.
Richard and Lyn are from a different generation, and they do not have firsthand experience with this unstable economy. Richard brings up that his father gave him a lump sum of money, and he made it work. He expected Cory to do the same. However, that lump sum was clearly worth less than it was in Richard’s time. He also doesn’t consider the cost of living or how difficult the housing market is. Richard also feels that because he struggled at points in his life, Cory should be able to tough it out as well. To make matters worse, Cory gets fired and has trouble finding work quickly. This turns the intended three-week stay into indefinite housing, and Cory’s parents are not supportive.
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The tension and lack of support drive Cory to cross boundaries and take what he believes should be given to him. It’s evident that his parents are living comfortably, but it is later revealed that they have millions. It’s easy to empathize with Cory when his parents could easily give him a lump sum to help him get back on his feet. Later, Lyn says, “Let’s just give them the money.” That’s how easy it is for them. But Richard is hellbent on teaching his son a lesson. He wants his son to suffer, especially because he believes it’s mostly Cory’s fault. Richard feels like he has his piece of the pie, and he doesn’t want to share a single morsel of it, not even with his son.
This speaks to the way people hoard wealth, which sometimes intensifies when they start from less. It’s the “bootstraps” mentality that so many older generations cling to. However, that mentality doesn’t neatly apply to current times.
I understand Cory’s frustration, but he is a habitual line-stepper. First, he takes his dad’s jacket, which seems to represent his peak. Letting Cory wear the jacket represents a passing of the torch that Richard isn’t ready for (even if he can barely fit it). He catches Cory taking the jacket out on a ride, and he becomes furious. Then he keeps it on for the rest of the movie, although it had been put away for years. Cory starts digging up the yard because he’s upset that the pool is covered (it’s not his yard). He seemingly locks his Dad out. His dad is Scrooge-like, but Cory IS entitled.
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It reaches a point where no one wants to leave the house for fear that they may not be able to get back in. During his parents’ anniversary, everyone (except a very pregnant Jasmine) gets drunk. It’s here where Richard and Cory’s competition takes a deadly turn. I thought the situation would become deadly earlier in the movie, but the thrills hold off until the last 15-20 minutes. Plus, the thrills weren’t surprising (or very bloody). Once I realized it wasn’t a movie about a cult or ritual, I knew what kind of ride I was in for.
Luckily, the comedy kept me engaged most of the way through. Birthright is a solid black comedy about the ills of trying to scrape by in this economy, while trying to explain it to a generation that navigated a completely different landscape. I recommend watching Birthright, unless you have a complicated living situation with your parents/ in-laws.
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Birthright
Summary
‘Birthright’ captures the horrifying reality of moving back in with your judgmental parents.
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