Everyone, whether a genre fan or otherwise, knows the names Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. This celebrity couple who has been giving marriage goals for decades has joined forces with their two children to bring Overlook Film Festival a brand new film, Family Movie. A filmmaking family has come together to make a B-horror movie on their rural farm. If the family drama isn’t enough to ruin the production, the increasing number of dead bodies surely will.

While the credits for Family Movie might say it was solely directed by Kevin Bacon, he’s made it abundantly clear it was a joint effort along with Kyra Sedgwick. Written by Dan Beers (Premature), the film follows the Smith family (played by the real life Bacon-Sedgwick family) – director husband Jack, his actor wife Ellen, their actor daughter Ulla, and their musician son Trent. Over the years, the Smith family has made many low-budget horror films together, almost all panned by critics and making very little money. This time is different. Jack seems to be at the end of his rope, both financially and creatively. Ulla has been given an incredible acting opportunity that would take her away from the family. Then there’s Trent, who wants to pursue a career as a Muay Thai fighter. The only one still completely on board with making movies as a family is Ellen, who is willing to do just about anything for her family. On top of all the family’s interpersonal issues, real dead bodies begin to pop up on set, threatening to ruin the production and the lives of the Smith family.

What makes Family Movie such an entertaining viewing experience is that it’s clear the Bacon-Sedgwick family had a blast making it. They all seem to be playing caricatures of themselves, allowing them to show all the love, animosity, and shenanigans of a family trying to make a movie together. It leads to some hilarious hijinks, especially as the body count continues to rise. While the killer is revealed fairly early on in the plot, it doesn’t take away from the entertainment. If anything, it makes the film even more laugh-out-loud funny. It helps to create a dangerous dynamic in which the family is horrified by the murders, but they also don’t want the killing to impact the film shoot. It’s certainly a silly premise with a few ridiculous moments, but that’s part of the charm. On top of the comedy and outrageous violence, Family Movie also manages to be surprisingly endearing. Because this is a real family playing a fictional family, it allows for their love to really shine through, showing just how far families will go to lift one another up.

With the Smiths being played by a real-life filmmaking family, it’s no wonder the performances in Family Movie are the heart of the film. Kevin Bacon (Footloose, Hollow Man) plays Jack. Jack is the patriarch of the family, driving them forward as he makes yet another cheesy horror film. Bacon adds so much love and care to this performance, depicting a man who has to realize he’s putting his own dreams ahead of his children. Bacon’s portrayal of this character gets surprisingly emotional as Jack has to learn how to be the best support system he can for his loved ones. Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer, Phenomenon) plays the family matriarch, Ellen. This is such a delightfully different role for Sedgwick and she completely knocks it out of the park. Ellen is a little kooky and quirky, but everything she does is driven by her love for her husband and children. While sometimes misguided, Sedgwick makes it crystal clear this is a woman willing to do anything for her family’s happiness and well being. Sosie Bacon (Smile, Cold Storage) plays Ulla. Her portrayal of Ulla is likely the closest of all the actors to playing herself. She clearly wants to do what she can to help her dad make his movie, but she’s also desperate to branch out and make her own career as an actor apart from the family. Sosie Bacon always manages to make each character she plays feel as real as possible, and her performance as Ulla is no different. Travis Bacon (Loverboy) plays Trent. Trent doesn’t seem to care as much about the family business, having his own metal band and studying Muay Thai, but he still helps his family working behind the scenes. This is a great performance from Travis Bacon as he plays a character who might look imposing on the surface, but who is also a bit of a softy who grew up being the bullied kid. Because this is a real family, their on-screen chemistry is obviously quite natural, making it easy to fall in love with the Smiths.

Just like the Smiths, the Bacon-Sedgwick family made Family Movie with a relatively small budget. It’s a mostly single-location film, being made almost entirely on a rural farm in Texas. When looking at the effects, one has to separate what is part of the Smith family film vs the Bacon-Sedgwick film. The movie the Smiths are making is a true micro-budget with a skeleton crew, cheesy fake blood and weapons, bad makeup, and even worse wigs. It’s an intentional choice for the film that makes what the Smith are creating feel more realistic to indie filmmaking. When it comes to the “real” carnage happening on screen, it’s at least somewhat better than the Smiths’ work. The blood and gore looks a bit more realistic with some memorable kills, but there are some moments of CGI blood spatter that don’t look quite as good. That being said, part of what makes low-budget horror so entertaining is the sometimes cheesy effects. Travis Bacon not only acted in the film, but he also composed the score. It moves between being lighthearted and melodic to more industrial depending on the scene, fitting perfectly with the tone of the film. There’s also a fantastic family dance scene, choreographed by Sosie Bacon.

Family Movie is a silly, bloody, fun time with a surprisingly endearing story, making audiences feel like they’re part of the family. Beers wrote a fantastic script that captures all the highs and lows of working with your family and both Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick did a beautiful job of bringing it to the big screen. It can be risky to make a film with your family, but with a family as multi-talented as the Bacon-Sedgwick family, it’s no wonder they were able to create something so special. It’s a great blend of goofiness with heart that will surely charm audiences everywhere, even those who might prefer more gore in this unconventional slasher. With stunning performances from Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, and Travis Bacon, Family Movie is guaranteed to become an instant cult classic.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10