Filmmakers Jonathan and Josh Baker make their feature directorial debut with “Kin,” which is based on their acclaimed short film, “Bag Man.” The movie stars Jack Reynor (“Glassland”), Zoë Kravitz (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), Carrie Coon (“Gone Girl”), with Dennis Quaid (“The Day After Tomorrow”), and James Franco (“127 Hours”), and introducing newcomer Myles Truitt.
“Kin” is a pulse-pounding crime thriller with a sci-fi twist, the story of an unexpected hero destined for greatness. 14-year-old African-American Eli (Myles Truitt) lives in Detroit with his adoptive father Hal (Dennis Quaid), a compassionate yet strict construction site supervisor and widower who senses Eli falling into delinquency. While exploring an abandoned building site looking for materials to scrap for extra money, Eli happens upon the aftermath of an otherworldly shoot-out. In the debris, he finds an unusual-looking metallic box and takes it home. He doesn’t know what it is, but holding it seems to activate it, and Eli decides to guard it preciously.
At the same time, Eli’s older, white brother Jimmy (Jack Reynor) – Hal’s biological son – has just come home from a prison stint, eager to reconnect with Eli and mend an estranged relationship with their father. But Jimmy also harbors a most pressing need: to pay back local gangster Taylor (James Franco), the man who kept him alive inside.
After Jimmy’s dangerous attempt to secure the money ends tragically, he hits the road, with Eli – and his strange new possession – in tow. Chased by a criminal bent on revenge, and two otherworldly beings in pursuit of their missing hardware, Jimmy and Eli are forced to go on the run. With the help of a friendly stranger named Milly (Zoë Kravitz), these lost brothers realize quickly the consequences of their actions, and their secrets.
But for Eli, learning what this mysterious and powerful weapon can accomplish becomes more than just a case of protection – it might also reveal his destiny.
From Pioneer Films, “Kin” opens in cinemas nationwide on August 29.
