Uncle Frank ★★★

Alan Ball

Starring Paul Bettany, Sophia Lillis, Steve Zahn, Judy Greer, Stephen Root, Peter Macdissi

What starts off as a coming of age drama soon turns into an exploration of hidden trauma, bigotry and a hope for change. All of this is wrapped up in an LGBTQ+ narrative that still doesn't feel mainstream enough on film.

The cast are brilliant with Paul Bettany really showing us what he can do. I wanted to see a lot more of Sophia Lillis as Beth as it felt like it was her story at first, when really it's Frank's. By the end of the picture she becomes a side note which is a shame for her and for the movie as a whole.

Wally (Peter Macdissi) though is the heart of Uncle Frank the man and Uncle Frank the movie. He provides a non-white, non-Western, perspective that we rarely see in Hollywood without stereotyping. His character and heritage felt real and to be honest, he'd definitely make it on my guest list at a dinner party.

The final stages of this film do let it down as it feels a bit rushed when we spent so much time driving and talking our way through the previous eighty minutes, which was really enjoyable. Nevertheless, I really appreciated spending time in their world and could have easily watched another hour of it.

Uncle Frank available now on Amazon Prime