In a politically divided America, a man struggles to make it through the Thanksgiving holiday without destroying his family.
In “The Oath,” Ike Barinholtz’s directorial debut comes up just a little short. The cast is full of hilarious people yet it’s not funny. Maybe it’s because it feels too much like real life? In the film, Barinholtz and Tiffany Haddish play Chris and Kai, a happily married couple. They seem like the only ones who are frightened when the country announces everyone will be signing an oath to the President. Their friends sign the oath without even thinking about it and Chris’ family seems so brainwashed that it becomes an eery thriller more than a comedy.
When the cops find out that Kai and Chris haven’t signed the oath yet, they pay a visit to their house on Thanksgiving. Who doesn’t love family gatherings where they scream about politics and the cops show up? Even the hilarious John Cho and Billy Magnussen, portraying the cops, couldn’t make it funny. Things turn violent very fast and it’s like they had a crossover with “The Purge.” Signing “The Oath” seems too similar to “1984” or “Fahrenheit 451” at that point.
The premise of this film is funny but Barinholtz just can’t follow through.
Now available on DVD
