Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sisters forced to bond when their dad dies; language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
(Un)lucky Sisters
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In (UN)LUCKY SISTERS, Angela (Letitia Siciliani) is a 20-something kindergarten teacher's aide who hates children. Her mom is dead and she hasn't heard from her dad in 15 years. Jesi (Sofia Morandi) just started as a fast-food worker. Long ago, her dad abandoned her and her embittered mom. What Jesi and Angela don't know is that they are sisters—something they don't discover until they meet frostily over their dad's dead body at the morgue. Neither knows what he looks like well enough to identify him. They are both impressed when Dad's "personal secretary" shows them the high-end apartment he's left behind. Shady characters show up at the funeral, and two of them insist, in a sinister manner, that Dad has left some "item" for them to pick up. A quick Google search reveals that Dad was mixed up with corrupt politicos, perhaps the police, maybe the mob, and a bribery lawsuit will probably eat up the value of the apartment. So when they discover a hidden panel safeguarding a wall full of euros, they are both excited and worried. Is the money stolen? Does it belong to their dad, or to the mob? Should they keep it, or turn it over to the authorities?
Is It Any Good?
(Un)lucky Sisters starts out with promise but quickly fades to little more than a slight amusement. The characters lack the depth to make this more than a good idea that never had meat applied to its bones. Two sisters who've never met finally set eyes on each other for the first time when identifying their estranged dad's body at the morgue—that's a setup that a better writer and director could've made much of.
In this case, their instant bickering gets old and boring quickly. If they really fear the mob and the police are after them, why are they so open about their spending and movement? And what motivates each of them to eventually see the other differently? This is a good movie to have on in the background while making dinner or folding laundry. When you look away to chop the onions, you won't miss anything.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way the movie sets up the separate difficult lives of each of the sisters. How do their circumstances motivate them to act the way they do?
How does the movie suggest the sisters are in danger? Do we assume a powerful man who says he was a friend of their father is a mobster just because he looks like one? What are some cues the filmmaker uses to make us fear him?
What does the end of the movie say about the sisters' relationship? Are they friends now? If yes, what do you think fostered the friendship?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 30, 2024
- Cast : Sofia Morandi , Leticia Siciliani
- Director : Fabiana Tiscornia
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 82 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 20, 2024
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