Kin 2018

The film commences with a desolate snapshot of an abandoned factory, its decrepit facade a testament to neglect and disuse. The silence is broken only by the sudden detonation of an explosion, which shatters the walls and heralds the beginning of a tumultuous tale. Hal Solinski (Dennis Quaid), a well-intentioned father, receives an urgent summons from his son Elijah/Eli’s (Myles Truitt) school, where Eli has gotten into trouble for engaging in fisticuffs with a classmate who had been disparagingly speaking about Eli’s mother.

As Hal endeavors to counsel his troubled offspring, he also drops the bombshell that Eli’s older brother Jimmy (Jack Reynor) is set to be released from prison after six grueling years. The weight of this revelation hangs heavy in the air, as it becomes clear that the presence of Jimmy will exacerbate the already strained relationships within the Solinski family.

Eli, seeking adventure and a means to distract himself from his troubles, pedals his bike to the abandoned factory, where he stumbles upon a gruesome scene: multiple lifeless bodies and a large firearm. One of the corpses, donning a helmet, inexplicably stirs when Eli reaches for the gun; however, rather than investigate further, Eli quickly flees the premises on his bike.

Jimmy’s homecoming is marked by an awkward and tense dinner with Hal and Eli, which only serves to heighten the already palpable tension between them. In a misguided attempt to bond with Eli, Jimmy later pays him a visit, but this gesture falls flat in the face of their deep-seated animosity.

As the night wears on, Jimmy seeks out his former employer, the formidable crime lord Taylor Balik (James Franco), who demands that Jimmy cough up $60,000. Jimmy insists that he has the funds, but they are not within easy reach. Meanwhile, Eli finds himself drawn to the firearm once more and decides to take it with him.

The dynamics between Hal and Jimmy become increasingly fraught when Jimmy requests access to Hal’s personal safe in order to raise the necessary funds. However, Hal is resolute in his refusal to facilitate Jimmy’s illegal activities, ultimately expelling him from their home. In the aftermath of this confrontation, Eli stumbles upon the firearm once again and decides to bring it with him.

As a means of keeping Eli occupied while he attends to some personal matters, Hal takes his son along on his work rounds. However, during one such stop, Hal notices something amiss and instructs Eli to remain in the vehicle. His investigation reveals Jimmy, Taylor, and Taylor’s brother Dutch (Gavin Fox) attempting to breach the safe. A tense standoff ensues, culminating in Taylor shooting Hal and Jimmy attacking Taylor, who in turn shoots Dutch. As Hal succumbs to his injuries, Jimmy makes a desperate escape with Eli, absconding with a share of the stolen funds as they flee the scene together.

As Jimmy and Eli embark on a perilous odyssey, Jimmy’s silence surrounding Hal’s fate hangs like an impenetrable fog between them. Seeking temporary refuge from the storm, they duck into a sultry strip club, where a tantalizing encounter with Milly (Zoe Kravitz) momentarily lifts their spirits. However, Jimmy’s inhibitions are short-lived, and his drunken bravado soon gets the better of him as he attempts to take center stage alongside the alluring performer. The club owner, Lee (Romano Orzari), is forced to intervene, but Jimmy’s cocky demeanor persists until a brutal reality check arrives in the form of a pounding from the bouncers. As chaos erupts, Eli springs into action, racing to retrieve the gun and brandishing it menacingly at the would-be assailants. A stray pool cue sends shockwaves through the room, prompting him to open fire on the table, unintentionally alerting two helmeted figures (the “Cleaners”) lurking in the shadows. With panic setting in, Jimmy, Eli, and Milly make a hasty exit, leaving behind the forgotten bag containing their lifeblood – a small fortune.

Seeking temporary solace, the trio takes up residence at a seedy motel, but Jimmy’s reckless streak soon gets him into hot water, culminating in his arrest. Meanwhile, back at the motel, Eli becomes aware of Hal’s fate through a gruesome television broadcast and sets out to find his troubled friend.

Taylor and his goon squad eventually track down Jimmy, intending to mete out deadly retribution. However, just as they close in for the kill, Eli arrives on the scene, gun blazing, and dispatches the thugs with ruthless efficiency, allowing him to extract Jimmy from harm’s way. As the standoff between law enforcement and the fugitives unfolds, the “Cleaners” speed through the barricades, intent on wreaking havoc. With the police closing in and Taylor mere moments away from delivering a fatal blow, Jimmy and Eli are poised on the precipice of disaster.

As the clock freezes in a moment of temporal stasis, the Cleaners - a duo of mysterious operatives (Michael B. Jordan and Lily Gao) - emerge from the shadows, their presence marked by a grenade that shatters the flow of time. Amidst this bizarre tableau, Eli finds himself immune to the effects of the grenade, while Jimmy lies helpless as a bullet hurtles towards him, fired by Taylor’s desperate attempt at self-defense. The Cleaners, revealed in their entirety, explain to Eli that his unique abilities - and those extraordinary capabilities peculiar to his dimension - allow him to wield the gun, a privilege denied to others, including Jimmy.

The Male Cleaner shares with Eli that he too hails from this mystical realm, where the rules of reality are subtly different. He extends an olive branch, inviting Eli to join their ranks when he is ready, and the pair reclaim the weapon, leaving Jimmy vulnerable once more. As they prepare to depart through a shimmering portal back to their own dimension, the Female Cleaner exhibits her cunning, manipulating the bullet’s trajectory towards Taylor’s unsuspecting head. Time resumes its natural pace, and the bullet finds its mark, striking down Taylor just as the SWAT team bursts into the room.

Jimmy is taken away once more, his fate sealed. Agent Morgan Hunter (Carrie Coon) engages Eli in a cryptic conversation, her curiosity piqued by the enigmatic events that have transpired. Though Eli remains tight-lipped, his eyes light up with an otherworldly energy as Milly arrives on the scene, her presence triggering a subtle glow emanating from Eli’s hand, mirroring the symbol of the Cleaners.