Film

Kin

Name: Kin
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Thriller
Released: 2018
Cast: Myles Truitt, Jack Reynor, Dennis Quaid, Zoë Kravitz, James Franco

Other titles called Kin: the 2021 series (RTÉ ONE).

A sci-fi thriller about two adoptive brothers—one a runaway with a prison record, one a gifted kid—who stumble into possession of an alien weapon. It's a film of genuine visual style and ambition that never quite lands, torn between intimate character drama and sprawling action spectacle. For viewers who love that 1980s Amblin blend of wonder and danger, even when the execution wavers.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like sci-fi crime road movies built around a restless bond between two brothers, where the gadgets matter less than the damaged people carrying them.

Skip it if you want the alien-tech premise pushed to big spectacle or tight plotting, since the story leans on its family drama and some of its set pieces feel rushed and familiar.

What it asks of you: It runs about an hour and forty minutes and keeps moving on the road, with quieter stretches of family friction between the action beats, so it rewards patience more than close attention.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Looper2012

A time-travel noir that treats its sci-fi premise as setting, not spectacle. Focuses on two desperate men making impossible choices, with the same blend of intimate stakes and visual inventiveness you want from Kin.

But It's slower and more meditative than you might expect; the action is sparse and the ending divides people sharply.

The Goonies1985

Kids finding dangerous power and going on the run with an older protector through increasingly wild circumstances. Pure adventure DNA, but with real warmth and wit that makes you care about the relationships.

But It's a product of 1985 in ways that haven't aged perfectly; some of the humour lands differently now.

Chronicle2012

Found-footage superhero film about ordinary people gaining extraordinary power and the friendships that fracture under the weight of it. Low budget but ambitious in ways that feel genuinely earned.

But The found-footage framing can feel gimmicky, and it builds toward destruction rather than resolution.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Kin

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Akira1988

Both pit a young man with catastrophic power against institutional forces hunting him; both are aesthetic projects where the visual language matters as much as the plot.

Animated sci-fi about a young man with destructive power running from government forces and mercenaries. Visually stunning in ways that make conventional action look flat; the weapon-as-plot-device and the boy-in-peril are structural DNA Kin shares.

But It's dense, the exposition comes fast, and the ending is deliberately cryptic and unsatisfying in the traditional sense.

Midnight Special2016

Jeff Nichols' film about a father protecting a mysteriously gifted child on the run. Slower-burn sci-fi that prioritizes emotional truth and creates genuine tension from the relationships under pressure.

But Plot takes a back seat to mood and character. If you want propulsive narrative, you'll get frustrated.

Predators2010

Lean, focused action thriller about a ragtag group hunted by something powerful and unknowable. Respects the audience's intelligence and keeps moving without ever feeling rushed.

But It's a straightforward siege film; there's no character depth, only survival and competence.

Escape Plan2013

Stallone and Schwarzenegger as two men framed and imprisoned, forced to work together against impossible odds. Gloriously shameless about its own fun and doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't.

But It's aggressively silly and the plot is tissue-thin; it only works if you surrender to that.

The Adam Project2022

Ryan Reynolds and a young actor playing versions of the same man, forced into partnership across time. Hits some of the same emotional beats about brotherhood and sacrifice, wrapped in accessible sci-fi action.

But It's more sentimental than complex; if you're looking for real stakes or surprises, you won't find them.

Elysium2013

Matt Damon as a desperate man driven to violence by love and survival instinct. Sharp action cinematography and a willingness to let the protagonist suffer real consequences.

But The script gets preachy about its class themes and the third act loses focus.

The Tomorrow War2021

Chris Pratt drafted to fight aliens in the future, but really it's about a father learning to forgive himself. Big, sincere, unafraid to be earnest about family and duty.

But It's very long, the plot mechanics don't hold up, and it swings wildly between action set-piece and dramatic confession.

Destroyer2018

Like Kin, it's a 2018 film reaching for visual ambition and thematic depth within genre constraints, centered on the cost of wielding power—whether destructive or transformative.

Nicole Kidman as a cop consumed by decades-old vengeance, tracing the web of a criminal cult through time. Formally adventurous, genuinely interested in how violence ages people, with real visual flair and commitment to a risky aesthetic.

But It's bleak, paced deliberately, and refuses catharsis; if you go in expecting action resolution you'll be disappointed.