Family Squares Movie Review (2022)

A family drama told through a series of video calls as relatives gather virtually during lockdown to say goodbye to a loved one, Family Squares is an inventive film that makes effective use of its limitations to tell a surprisingly complex story.

The Covid lockdowns were brutal. My husband and I came from a perspective of wanting to make sure that our children were safe, so until there was a vaccine for all four of us, none of us spent time with other people in person unless we were outside and 6 feet apart. That’s just how it was. And that’s how it was for many people, but all of us had to to figure out how to make it through with the best mental health possible.

Family Squares is about a family that spends most of its time apart. When Grandma Mabel is on her deathbed, she asks her granddaughter to help her gather everyone together online. With Mabel’s nurse, children, and grandchildren in attendance, Mabel passes. However, during the online meeting, everyone learns that Mabel has left video messages encouraging the family to reveal their secrets.

This is a unique film constructed almost entirely on video calls. There are large Zoom rooms where the whole family is in attendance, and other, smaller calls where only a few people discuss their own circumstances.

What becomes apparent from the very beginning is that this was a passion project made by people who love to work and had to figure out how to do it while everyone was in lockdown. Actors appeared to have both Zoom availability and their own cameras, with which short recordings were taken in their homes or backyards. At the end of the film, they show you very cool behind-the-scenes footage of how the director conducted the entire affair.

There are very few people who found a way of making releasable content during the Covid lockdowns. 7 Days kept the two characters in one house while video chatting with a few others. In Family Squares, most characters are separate (and, if they are supposed to be in the same space, it is clear the actors aren’t actually together), while filming a few choice scenes with two actors outside.

The story is also engaging. Most families have secrets, but this family has some pretty heavy ones. And it is through Grandma Mabel’s films, recorded before her death, that everyone has to contend with her spilling some beans.

With a killer ensemble, including Ann Dowd, Rob Reiner, Elsie Fisher, Judy Greer, Scott MacArthur, Billy Magnussen, Sam Richardson, Timothy Simons, June Squibb, Casey Wilson, Henry Winkler, and more, it also feels as if everyone has a feel for what each scene should be like, but improv was encouraged. It’s a lot of fun to hear them quip at each other while other people are talking.

Another special aspect of Family Squares is that it is dedicated to everyone who couldn’t say goodbye to a loved one in person. In 50 years, kids may not understand the weight of that statement, but for those of us who lived it, it packs an extra emotional punch to the film.

Runtime: 94 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Available: Free for Prime Members and Tubi, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms