The action–comedy “The Family Plan,” starring Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan, is currently the second most-watched movie on Apple TV+ globally, according to FlixPatrol. This week (Jan. 30th), the film is only behind Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
TV veteran Simon Cellan Jones, who has directed titles such as Jessica Jones and Ballers, helmed the film. It was written by David Coggeshall, who is also a producer and has worked in movies such as Orphan: First Kill (2022) and Prey (2019).
Apart from Wahlberg, who also produces, and Monaghan, the movie’s cast include Zoe Colletti, Van Crosby, Saïd Taghmaoui, Maggie Q, and Ciarán Hinds. “The Family Plan” was released on Dec. 15th, and, per Deadline, it became the most watched movie on the platform until that point. However, it didn’t offer specific numbers.
What is ‘The Family Plan’ about?
The movie follows Dan (Wahlberg) who is a former elite government assassin now living a quiet life in Buffalo with his wife and three children. However, when enemies from his past track him down, he takes off on an cross-country road trip to Las Vegas with his family.
The film is a mix of elements from different genres: action, comedy and coming-of-age, with a story of the older daughter Nina (played by Colette) going to college. Wahlberg said to Comingsoon.net that to him, the story was “very relatable” and “it was a lot of fun.”
Meanwhile, the director told Collider that one thing he wanted to make right with this film was making “all the members of the family having equal weight.” He also highlighted that the kids of the film were “really good.”
The film received lukewarm reviews
While the film has been hugely popular, it received mixed reviews from critics. For example, Guy Lodge of Variety criticized the script, saying that it “mismatched” the wholesome family with the gritty, darker action scenes. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter , also criticized the script, saying that it stretched the “high concept” and that “to say it’s predictable is an insult to predictability.”
Other critics were more benevolent with the film. For example, Calum Marsh writing for The New York Times gave a positive review; praising the director and Wahlberg’s performance, calling it “charismatic.” Also, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised the script and the acting, but criticized the aesthetic of the film.