Film

Sextuplets

Name: Sextuplets
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2019
Cast: Marlon Wayans, Bresha Webb, Michael Ian Black, Molly Shannon, Glynn Turman

Buddy comedy
Light-hearted

Marlon Wayans plays a man who discovers he's one of six identical siblings, then embarks on a road trip to find them. It's a high-concept comedy built almost entirely on Wayans playing different characters—each sibling gets their own personality, accent, and gag. Uneven and silly, but genuinely committed to its own chaos.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy broad, high-concept farce where one performer keeps reinventing himself in a crowd of characters, and you don't mind the gags running a little past their welcome.

Skip it if you want sharp, economical jokes or a grounded story; this one leans on loud physical comedy and costume-driven disguises, and the slapstick can feel repetitive over its hundred minutes.

What it asks of you: Roughly an hour and a half of nonstop, wide-open silliness with little quiet space between set pieces, so it rewards a willingness to go along with the broadness rather than close attention.

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

If you liked this

Coming to America1988

Eddie Murphy in his prime, playing multiple royal characters with total conviction and charm. The fish-out-of-water premise gives each persona room to breathe, and the supporting cast is stellar. A masterclass in comedy character work.

But The pacing can feel slack by modern standards, and some of the sexual humor hasn't aged especially well. It's long for what it does.

The Nutty Professor1996

Eddie Murphy again, but this time he's a shy scientist who transforms into his grotesque alter ego. Genuinely inventive physical comedy, real heart beneath the buffoonery, and Murphy clearly relishes both ends of the character spectrum.

But The fat-suit humor is dated and discomforting now. Some scenes exist just to pad runtime with indulgence rather than jokes.

Meet the Fockers2004

Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, and Barbra Streisand in a family comedy that works because the ensemble keeps grounding the chaos. Warm and genuinely funny without relying on one person to carry everything through sheer character changes.

But Relies heavily on awkwardness and secondhand embarrassment as a comedic engine. If that isn't your thing, it wears thin fast.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Barfi!2012

Both films weaponize physical comedy and character transformation as their primary comedic engine, but Barfi! uses silence and visual gags where Sextuplets uses voices and verbal chaos. Same DNA, opposite temperament.

A Bollywood film where the protagonist is deaf and mute, played with physical comedy precision by Ranbir Kapoor. Silent slapstick mixed with genuine emotion and visual storytelling. Wayans's character-switching energy finds its opposite in a film that achieves ensemble chaos through a completely different register.

But It's nearly three hours long and very much a Bollywood production—melodramatic, song-heavy, and structurally different from Western comedies. The romance is earnest in ways that might feel saccharine.

Big Momma's House2000

Martin Lawrence in drag as an elderly woman, playing it absolutely straight while chaos erupts around him. Better plot than you'd expect, genuine action sequences alongside the comedy, and Lawrence commits fully to every bit.

But The premise itself (man in disguise in women's space) is built on humor that feels uncomfortable now. The sequels are noticeably worse if you get curious.

Tropic Thunder2008

An ensemble of comedians and dramatic actors playing action-movie archetypes with surgical precision. Robert Downey Jr. in blackface is genuinely the point of the satire. Quotable, absurd, and smarter about comedy than it initially appears.

But The central joke is provocative by design, which bothers some viewers regardless of intent. Also very male-focused and somewhat self-congratulatory about how clever it is.

The Other Guys2010

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg have genuine comedic chemistry, playing mismatched cops with totally different comedic registers. Absurdist humor, good action setpieces, and a surprising amount of character work beneath the noise.

But Relies on escalating absurdity that doesn't always land. The plot is basically an excuse to keep throwing bits at you until something sticks.

Norbit2007

Eddie Murphy plays three characters—a meek man, his abusive ex-wife, and a romantic rival—and commits to each with physical comedy and vocal work. The sweet ending almost apologizes for the route it took to get there.

But The fat-suit humor is mean-spirited and hasn't aged well at all. The jokes often punch down rather than across, and the pacing drags significantly in the middle.

Soul Plane2004

A goofy premise (all-Black airline) played by a charismatic ensemble for pure silliness. The energy is infectious, the cast seems to be having genuine fun, and it commits to absurdist humor without cynicism.

But The script is thin and relies on stereotypes more than satire. It's basically an extended sketch that outstays its welcome, and some gags fall flat spectacularly.

Madea's Family Reunion2006

Tyler Perry as Madea is a cultural phenomenon for a reason—the character is funny, wise, and surprisingly maternal. The ensemble drama gives the comedy actual stakes, and there's genuine feeling alongside the broad humor.

But The melodrama elements feel disconnected from the comedy, creating tonal whiplash. Perry's other characters are much thinner and the pacing is uneven throughout.

The Lobster2015

Both films hinge on a single absurd premise that could only exist as comedy, but The Lobster weaponizes that premise for existential dread while Sextuplets uses it for character riffing. One is chaos, one is control masquerading as chaos.

A deadpan premise (single people are turned into animals) played completely straight by a stellar cast in a surreal world. Absurdist, funny, and genuinely unsettling. Colin Farrell's performance is understated and perfect. A movie where the weirdness is the point.

But The tone is deliberately flat and the humor is conceptual rather than punchline-based. If you're expecting traditional comedy beats, you'll be frustrated. It's arthouse in the best and most inaccessible ways.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things2020

Both films are formally obsessed with character and performance—Sextuplets through multiplication, Ending Things through dissolution. One explodes identity outward, the other collapses it inward. Both are fascinated by what happens when you can't pin someone down.

Charlie Kaufman directs Jessie Plemons and Toni Collider in a film that begins as a relationship dramedy, then becomes something else entirely. Meta, literary, genuinely unsettling. A character study that refuses to stay in one genre, let alone one reality.

But It's deliberately obtuse and resists interpretation. The ending frustrates people who want narrative resolution. It's bleak and demanding, and being confused is part of the intended experience.