Post-SXSW 2020: Uncorked Review

For those who didn’t already know, this year’s SXSW was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. We at KLM are still here to do our part to help cover films slated to appear at this year’s festival. To keep up with our latest post-SXSW coverage, click here.

Family dramas are a dime a dozen and as far as Netflix is concerned, that statement could not be more true. The latest Netflix original joining the fray is Uncorked. Does it do enough to stand out in an already crowded field? The answer to this question is arguably perhaps though it’s all a matter of perspective. As most family dramas go, it lives or dies based on the audience’s ability to relate to is characters and story. While this film doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel, it’s still a solid experience that won’t come as a surprise to anyone. However, it’s still compelling to watch thanks to its trio of lead performances from Athie, Vance, and Nash and their great chemistry as the film’s titular family that helped to create a relatable unit.

Uncorked follows Elijah (Athie), an ambitious young man who found himself at a crossroads, stuck between his dream of becoming a sommelier and his father Louis’ (Vance) desire for him to take over their family’s BBQ restaurant for which he worked while trying to pursue his dream. Suffice it to say that this was a contentious issue between the two as Elijah’s more supportive mother Sylvia (Nash) stood there and watched. Despite the lack of his father’s support, he just wanted a life for himself but little did he know, that would be easier said than done with the odds already against him. Though the world of sommeliers was certainly a tough one, Elijah wasn’t ready to give up.

At the end of the day, his relationship with his family was still very important to him. While Elijah’s pursuit of his dream was a big theme, his relationship with his father was arguably a bigger one and the film overplays that contrast through the overuse of music that undercut some of the emotion, however, this is easy to overlook. The best part of Uncorked ultimately was Athie’s excellent performance as Elijah. Bringing plenty of likability, relatability, and charisma to the role, allowing us to connect with his struggle and was fun to watch. His great chemistry with Vance’s Louis, who was solid in his own right, was gripping while Vance and Nash’s Sylvia were a great married couple with some fun squabbles.

In the end, Uncorked may be familiar story but you definitely can’t go wrong with this one. Check it out.

*still courtesy of Netflix*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.