A Little Family Drama (2024)—Heartfelt and Powerful Storytelling at its Core

Have you ever witnessed a massive, generational fight within your family? Or perhaps you’ve the Thanksgiving Dinner madness when your racist uncle or grandpa starts blabbering on about conspiracy theories after a couple of drinks? Safe to say, family drama is nearly impossible to avoid. Especially when your family just so happens to run a business together. Nadia Zoe’s directorial debut explores just what happens when three generations clash.

A Mexican family known for their legendary restaurant, prepares their annual family reunion dinner. But things come to a clash as the current manager, Victoria (played by Romi Dias) and her mom and restaurant owner Anselma (played by Alma Martinez) argue about where to host the dinner and what to serve. As the two continue to argue, Victoria’s daughter Cecilia (played by Diana Elizabeth Torres) discovers her brother Matias’ financial troubles involving an A.I. run taco truck. Matias (played by Ramon O. Torres) took out a $500,000 loan that could lose them the restaurant. He plans on making things right by asking a visiting Business Tycoon to invest in their restaurant, much to Cecilia’s dismay. As the dinner nears, tensions come to a climax.

Despite not being Hispanic, I do have a sizable extended family. And as someone with a large family, I’m no stranger to domino effect family drama kick starting a cataclysm of insanity that surfaces at the most inappropriate moment. Believe it or not, this isn’t the first movie I’ve seen with complicated family drama. But this is the first movie where the elder generation is more progressive and open-minded compared to the younger generation. Unlike her mom, Victoria believes in sticking to traditional family recipes as opposed to trying something new and innovative. However, her hard-headedness for tradition blinds her to the reality that she’s alienated from her family. When Matias has financial troubles, he doesn’t tell her. When Cecelia is angry over not feeling in control of her life, she doesn’t confide in her. And when Anselma wanted to bring the family together at their home, she didn’t tell her the real reason for doing so. Despite this, she does her best to be there for her family, specifically her granddaughter. Showing that she wants the best of her family, despite not truly understanding their plights.

Contrary to what you might think from the first act, no one here is solely responsible for the family drama. Why? Because everyone has some chips in the game. You have Matias and his irresponsibility nearly bankrupting the family business (while refusing to accept outside help) and Cecelia’s concealed rage to factor in to the melting pot. And if you thought Anselma was not a player, you’d be dead wrong. Although she does her best to unite the family, she is oblivious to the many problems that do plague the family, such as Victoria’s wants and needs. With all these chips in the dangerous game of life, drama and heartache is the only inevitability. What follows is brimming with emotion, as the tough conversations the family needed to have are finally happening.

In order for a heartfelt story like this to really soar, the acting needs to be superb. And fortunately, the acting is anything but lacking. Diana Elizabeth Torres perfectly conveys Cecelia’s frustration as she does her best to look after TWO families (her immediate family and extended family). And this is put on full display during the climactic third act. Everything, from her tears of anguish, to her exasperated tone paint this frustration and anger in all its glory. But I can’t forget Ramon O. Torres as Matias. While he’s irresponsible, lazy and rash, I think he’s one of the most sympathetic characters. You can see just how much he cares for his family and their restaurant, even going as far as making a fool out of himself if he thinks it’ll get him closer to that goal. And last but not least, I can’t forget Alma Martinez as Anselma. I love how she takes a nuanced approach to Anselma’s emotions. Despite being optimistic and happy for the majority of the film, her optimism is double sided. On one hand, she genuinely cares for her family, but she also uses it to mask her personal concerns. With acting this believable, I’m surprised they’re not part of the same family themselves!

For those looking for a heartfelt and emotional drama on the complexities of well…family drama, then look no further. Brimming with powerful performances, heart wrenching and humorous writing and an ultimately wholesome message, A Little Family Drama deserves more attention. When I screened this at Twin Cities Film Festival, I was really surprised that this is Nadia Zoe’s first film. If you told me she made this ten years into her filmmaking career, I’d wholeheartedly believe you. If you get the chance, go watch this movie. I promise you, you won’t regret it.