I suppose the timing was right for me to sit down with writer/director Kris McMenamin's coming-of-age meets dark comedy meets a whole lot more called Misfits. You can check it out now via Prime Video, though I can't help but hope that some indie distributor will step in to give it a little extra love. 

I'm sitting here on the back end of what was a fairly shi**y Christmas, my last family member having passed away earlier in the year and my hometown's weather having been dreary and depressing. However, much like Josh (Sam Meola) in Misfits, I've landed a pretty damn good village of weirdos who are mighty good at salvaging something pretty darn awesome out of my frequent bouts with loneliness and insanity. Misfits lives in a world where family matters and that may very well mean family of choice. With friends like Ryan (Christian Levens), Becca (Kat Reeve), Spencer (Jacob Burke), and Lucas (Russell Levin), even darkness gets a little lighter. 

Josh and his wife Sandy (Ceecee Simone) have spent years alongside this motley crew of merriment and mayhem, loyalty a given and showing up a must. When Sandy passes, however, Josh's life is thrown into a tailspin as he struggles to care for his kids and pay the bills. 

I think we all know who's going to step in. It's how they step in that gives Misfits its delightful weirdness with an abundance of humor and heart. 

Misfits is the debut feature from McMenamin, a sort of "bucket list" achievement that both shows its novice roots and benefits from them. McMenamin makes a narrative choice to allow us time with these misfits. We get to know them. We appreciate them. I think, most importantly, we understand why they've existed as a village for years. We kinda sorta "get" the bad guy who wants to claim Josh's home despite his misfortunes, however, this is a film where we get the sense that these people are going to act like people who really care about you should act. 

Misfits isn't the kind of film that's going to blow you away. It's a quiet winner, occasionally funny yet grounded in such humanity that you can't help but forgive the occasional tech issue or the performance variations. Meola and Simone, in particular, are top-notch and give the film the grounding it definitely needs. You believe these two together and that gives an honesty to Josh's grief.  

Among the supporting players, relative newcomer Kat Reeve shines as the adult Becca with a depth that is somewhat surprising given she is a supporting player. However, she's an essential member of this found family and Reeve makes sure we understand why. The same is true for Carlie Ann Kauffman's Darlene. I also found myself quite taken by Russell Levin's Lucas, the newest "member" of these misfits with a vibrant energy that helps both the misfits and this lovely film. 

My hope is that it's a compliment to say that Misfits feels like a bit of a bucket list film. It possesses such heart and sincerity that it becomes a film you root for even when it doesn't quite work or when the tech doesn't quite live up to McMenamin's lofty vision. The ensemble, while varied in terms of performance, has clearly surrendered to McMenamin's vision and that cohesion helps to overcome any concerns. 

I'm occasionally hesitant to overly praise a film. I don't want you to think you're going to get some studio-level work of wonder, however, Misfits is a film worth checking out with its fairly predictable structure amplified by McMenamin's unique twists in storytelling and ability to bring that story to life. While Misfits takes place during the holiday season, it's less about the holidays and more about, perhaps, the people who put the magic in our lives. It's a film where interdependence is celebrated, family is loved, showing up matters, and what and who we believe in is worth fighting for. 

Misfits isn't a perfect film, however, most of us aren't perfect. I'm sure not. That imperfection is part of what makes Misfits the little indie that could and a little indie that you should watch. It's on Prime Video right now. What are you waiting for?

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic