For me, 'Instant Family (2018)' works much more as a family drama than as a comedy, with its successful humour coming from, but always being second to, the relationship that forms between its focal foster parents and their newfound family. It's a well-conceived and relatively realistic central dynamic that's actually very satisfying when it comes full circle, even if it's somewhat rushed in places, quite sappy in others and generally pretty predictable. Indeed, it's easy to see why this piece shouldn't work. It takes a serious subject matter and, in some ways, waters in down so that it's as commercial as possible. Plus, it's oddly preachy at points - not least of which being when it promotes a movie tie-in 'learn more' website as its third credit - and manages to cram that serious stuff into a formula that's, at this point, incredibly generic. Sill, its intentions are good and its execution is undeniably effective. It may be fluff, and that's unfortunate given what it tries to tackle, but it's fun fluff, nevertheless. It's also emotionally affecting enough that I can easily see it having an impact on someone's decision to at least think about fostering a child. Whether or not the picture shows the process in it's true, unfiltered and, frankly, sometimes ugly light is a different matter, which does lead one to consider whether the possible uptake in maybe misled foster parents is necessarily all that helpful if they all meet a situation they aren't truly prepared for. This is a responsibility that I don't think is entirely on the film itself, though, even if it actively, and somewhat nobly, encourages its viewers to consider the real-life ramifications of its central conceit. Raising awareness is a valid mission-statement, regardless of how effective the final product is. In the end, this is an enjoyable and occasionally affecting family drama that isn't necessarily funny but doesn't necessarily need to be. It's generic and predictable, for sure, but it's an entertaining time and, for me, that's what really counts. 7/10
Review of Instant Family
