The trailer for a new Netflix comedy that combines elements of Knives Out and Weekend at Bernie's, titled Welcome to the Family, promises chaotic fun.
Hide a body, forge a will, and deceive a mafia boss... sounds easy, right?
Netflix continues to demonstrate why it is one of the best streaming services by releasing a new trailer for its twisted comedy series, Welcome to the Family. This production shapes up to be a fun mix of Knives Out and The Weekend, combining inheritance politics with the body madness of 80s comedy.
In Welcome to the Family, "a struggling single mother brings her quirky family together to con a mafia boss following the death of her estranged wealthy father, who leaves them a debt." This debt turns out to be the very apartment where Cristina (Marimar Vega) and her family live. Joining forces with Luciana (Erika Buenfil), his second wife who is also at risk of losing everything in the deal, the group devises a plan: to hide the body until they can forge the late patriarch's will to return the property to the family unit, all while dealing with an increasingly agitated mafia boss. However, the situation complicates with a curious neighbor investigating and an infatuated police officer caught in the middle of the case, leading to the family's attempts to maintain their deception starting to crumble.
The trailer indicates that the series promises to be a blast of fun for crime-comedy lovers, featuring elements such as cartoonish mobsters, exaggerated violence, and absurd characters, including a lawyer who makes Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad seem like a role model. Additionally, the sunny setting and family discussion dynamics will attract those who felt that Modern Family needed more organized crime.
Known as Welcome to the Family in its home country of Mexico, this series is an adaptation of the Catalan production Benvinguts a la família, which aired for two seasons in its home country before gaining international recognition after being acquired by Netflix for a global release. Interestingly, both versions are available on the platform under the title Welcome to the Family, so it's important to check the release year. The Catalan version, which received praise for its 2018 release and was favorably compared to Weeds and Shameless, addresses issues of eviction and displacement in the context of the Catalan independence movement and Spain's declaration of independence in 2017. The new version seems to take a broader approach, with a high-budget production that sets it apart from the original's darker tone. Nevertheless, the Spanish version may also present meaningful messages, although fans of the original should be prepared for a more accessible approach.
In any case, I am always eager to enjoy a new dark comedy, especially one coming from the same house that brought us After Life and Santa Clarita Diet. With a cast that will be familiar to those following Mexican cinema and telenovelas—including Ana Layevska, Erick Elías, and Martín Altomaro—Welcome to the Family is a series that I will be looking forward to when it premieres on Netflix in March.
