Over the last few days, director Don Palathara’s Family has been receiving plenty of appreciation on social media since its release on the streaming platform Mubi. The other day, director-writer-actor Murali Gopy took to social media to shower the film with praise. Murali described it as “one of the best Malayalam films of this decade.” He also drew attention to Don Palathara and Sherin Catherine's screenplay, calling it “intuitive and meditative,” which he feels makes the film “a must-watch.”
The National Award winning film Aattam’s director Anand Ekarshi also echoed Murali’s sentiments. The filmmaker shared the Lucifer and L2: Empuraan writer’s post and wrote, “100 per cent true. Meditative and roaring at the same time.”
Family stars Vinay Forrt in the lead role of Sony. The supporting cast includes Divya Prabha, Mathew Thomas, Abhija Sivakala, and Nilja K Baby. The plot follows a popular youngster in a close-knit community who leads a secret life. The film is best known for its making, especially its static frames and sparse use of dialogues.
The film has been screened at numerous international film festivals and has received awards, including Best Film at the 2023 Halicarnassus Film Festival in Turkey. In CE’s review of the film from 2023, Sajin Shriijth wrote, “The method of visual storytelling Don employs here is the kind that makes things evident without showing much.”
