K-SCORE: 81
Writer/Director: Derrick Borte
Starring: David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Amber Heard, Ben Hollingsworth
Spoiler Level: Minor
The Joneses follows a fake picturesque family that moves into a wealthy community to make friends and have parties, all for the purpose of stealth advertising. The unique premise is complemented by competent filmmaking and engaging storytelling.
I didn’t feel too bad for the neighbors that bought stuff they couldn’t afford and wound up in serious trouble, but I thought the film did a good job of raising questions about the dishonest and even insidious nature of advertising, how susceptible people are to it, and how much excess really succeeds at bringing happiness. This last point is especially well done, as The Joneses aren’t a real family and not really related so their company-sponsored lavish lifestyle can’t fill any of the holes that a genuine family can. This ends up being the central conflict for David Duchovny’s character, but it was an interesting element in all four.
Perhaps The Joneses is a little slow at times, occasionally far-fetched, and I wish there was more “we’re not really related” weirdness like when the teenage daughter tries to sleep with the dad, but it’s quite good regardless.