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Runs in the Family (2023)

★★★½ — Runs in the Family (2023)

Ian Gabriel is a South African director best known for the crime thriller Forgiveness (2004) and the political drama Four Corners (2014), films that established him as a thoughtful voice in South African cinema. Runs in the Family is a co-production between South Africa and eSwatini (the small landlocked kingdom formerly known as Swaziland), shot on location across both countries, and represents a relatively rare example of eSwatini appearing as a production partner on an internationally distributed feature. The film centres on a road trip premise that allows Gabriel to frame a contemporary story about family, identity, and drag performance against southern African landscapes. Ace Bhatti, a British-Asian actor familiar from television work in the UK, leads alongside South African comedian and writer Rob van Vuuren, an unusual cross-cultural pairing that reflects the production's collaborative regional ambitions.

A-Z World Movie Tour Eswatini This film had more twists than an M. Night Shyamalan movie. The first half really drags but when they pick up Monica the movie just ramps up a gear. In drag, literally lol. This was a story about a trans man coming to terms with his absent mother returning to his life suddenly... but it's ohhhh so much more than that. I was so pleasantly surprised by this film. Like I say, yes it does drag in the beginning (no pun intended) and the acting is a bit Hammy at times but overall it was a touching story with some really emotive scenes. The ending was a real feel good affair too.

Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2023 | Watched: 2025-06-17

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Where to watch (UK)

Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK

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