Parents' Guide to Adulthood

Director Alex Winter's cadaver comedy isn't just black, it's decomposing. The premise is intriguing: What if you literally discovered the skeleton your parents had been hiding in the closet for decades? Would you report it, or, thinking no one benefits from uncovering the truth, bury the family secret, along with the bones? Adulthood's main characters have opposing views: Noah—a selfish, crass L.A. screenwriter—wants to dispose of the evidence, while Meg—a caring wife and mom who still lives in the community—wants to do what she knows is the right thing and tell the authorities. But Noah plays on his sister's worries that the family name would be dragged, her kids bullied, her professor husband disgraced. And the inevitable media storm could be the final blow to put their mother in the grave. Viewers will likely connect with Meg's predicament, feeling like she's being lowered into a coffin, trapped on all sides: What would you do? Who will ever know?

It's a killer setup, and the first two-thirds of the movie deliver, packed with ethical quandaries as the siblings dig themselves deeper. Their initial act was about protecting their mom, themselves, and their families, but how far will they go to keep their secret quiet? With every bad decision, a part of their soul decays—and, alas, so does the film. It feels like the ending is missing, loose threads dangling like a severed limb. The film ultimately flatlines—but instead of leaving it on the table, use it as a springboard to talk to teens about what ending (and lesson) they'd exhume from the remains if they had their say.