Family Pack – Review | Netflix (3/5)

FAMILY PACK on Netflix is a new time-traveling fantasy adventure comedy for the whole family. Also, it has a plot reminiscent of Jumanji but with werewolves. Read our full Family Pack movie review here!

FAMILY PACK is a new Netflix genre movie for the whole family. It’s a French production (org. title: Loups-Garous) and is based on the bestselling board game “The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow”.

As indicated by the name of that board game, it features werewolves. Also, as the family is trapped inside the game, it has a distinct Jumanji-vibe. Well, sort of, because the game essentially pulls them back in time. Way back!

Continue reading our Family Pack movie review below. Find it on Netflix from October 23, 2024.

Time-travel, villagers, and werewolves

In Family Pack, we meet a family that isn’t as close as it could be. It’s a blended family, and both the husband and wife have a child from their previous marriage. They also have a younger daughter together, and all the kids get along fine.

The problem isn’t that they don’t care about one another, but rather that they’re very busy with their own lives. Including the husband’s father who is suffering from the still-early stages of dementia and would rather be alone.

Maybe that’s why the husband tries to bring the family together with a fun old board game. Of course, he’s the only one interested in playing, so when they abandon it after having dealt out roles, the game comes to life and time-travels the entire family to the “age of the game”.

That age is many centuries ago (in 1497, to be exact), which was a time when villagers were always eager for an execution in the town square.

Also, this particular village is currently tormented by werewolves. The purpose of the board game was to identify the werewolves and slay them, so it makes sense that this village has the same mission.

Plenty of fun details for adults

If you pay attention, there are many little hints (even Easter Eggs) throughout Family Pack on Netflix. Nothing crazy, and I’m sure I missed plenty.

For one, the husband (Franck Dubosc) plays a guitar and becomes a popular musician in the village. When meeting his fans, he does the classic Celine Dion salute. And then you’ll notice that Celine Dion is singing during the credits as well.

Also, the casting of Jean Reno (Léon: The Professional) as the grandfather is something that will speak to older audiences more than the young. And having the amazing Suzanne Clément (Inhuman Resources, Vampires) as the wife is another treat.

She’s a lawyer and feminist in the present, so 1497 makes her want to fight for equal rights. Especially as adults are talking about wives needing a good beating to behave and women being burned at the stake as witches if they’re smart.

Finally, there’s a little music scene, where I half expected someone to paraphrase Marty McFly and say “I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet. But your descendants are gonna love it.”

Well, except, the villagers did also love it.

A little touch of Leonardo da Vinci

Also, the family meets an Italian artist and inventor named Piero (Bruno Gouery), who is way ahead of this time in many ways. Including being very fascinated by the beautiful blue eyes of the husband and finding him very attractive – even saying as much directly.

Piero later reveals his first name to be Leonardo. And while most of the world knows him as Leonardo da Vinci, his full name is actually “Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci”.

The name Leonardo da Vinci is never spoken in Family Pack, but the final scene clearly tells you that Piero was indeed the famous artist and inventor. Also, another little Easter egg is that the family needs a code from da Vinci to survive at one point.

As in “The Da Vinci Code”.

One minor issue with this story would be that during the 1490s the French and Italians were actually at war with each other. Leonardo da Vinci was working for the Duke of Milan, so he probably wouldn’t have been fraternizing with the French.

But hey, this is a fantasy adventure story, so we shouldn’t dwell too much on facts, I suppose.

Watch Family Pack on Netflix now!

François Uzan is the director of Family Pack which he also co-wrote along with Céleste Balin and Hervé Marly. Previously, François Uzan has been working on the Netflix series Lupin.

While the English title of Family Pack makes sense in that this is a movie for the whole family, the direct translation of the French title Loups-Garous is actually “Werewolves.”

As a fantasy adventure movie featuring werewolves but being for the whole family, the English title might be best. I don’t expect many people would choose a movie titled Werewolves to watch with the kids.

The runtime is just 1 hour and 34 minutes and it’s a fun adventure fantasy movie. No, it’s not horror in any sense that will scare adults, but kids might find it a little scary at times. Both due to the werewolf element and the rather bloodthirsty villagers!

Family Pack (org. title: Loups-Garous) is out on Netflix globally on October 23, 2024.

Details

Director: François Uzan
Writers: François Uzan, Céleste Balin, Hervé Marly
Cast: Jean Reno, Suzanne Clément, Franck Dubosc, Jonathan Lambert, Grégory Fitoussi, Bruno Gouery, Lisa Do Couto, Raphaël Romand, Alizée Caugnies