The Addams Family (2019)

The Addams Family (2019)

5/10

Starring the voices of

Oscar Isaac

Charlize Theron

Chloë Grace Moretz

Finn Wolfhard

Directed by Conrad Vernon

The idea is fun to watch—you’ll enjoy it and giggle a few times, that I can guarantee. But this animation lacked the needed touch. The story was just a step away from crossing the finish line as a truly fun family movie experience.

The Addams Family has always been a tale I’ve enjoyed, especially the 1991 live-action movie adaptation of the same name. The Addamses are a wealthy, gothic-like family, an inversion of what a typical household might be. Good is bad, clean is dirty—things like that.

Created in 1938 by Charles Addams as a comic, the family consists of parents Gomez and Morticia Addams, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, and extended family members like Uncle Fester, Grandma, and Cousin Itt. The household also includes Thing (a disembodied hand) and Lurch, the butler.

Unlike previous portrayals I encountered while growing up, this animation begins with the pairing of Gomez and Morticia. We see the Addamses driven out of their homes and how they eventually settle in New Jersey to raise their family.

As expected, the Addamses maintain their unique, inverted nature. Dead flowers are preferred to live ones, a lion takes the place of a dog, the house is dark and gloomy, and everyone is perfectly at ease dressed in black.

Not far from their home is a bright, picturesque community led by a woman named Margaux Needler. She’s a reality TV host known for her house makeover shows, and her life revolves around building the "perfect" community. Margaux keeps this neighborhood under control with her quirky but rigid worldview.

Margaux is initially thrilled to learn that just a short distance away, an old former asylum—now home to the Addams family—exists. She decides to make their house her next big makeover project and visits them with plans in hand. Gomez is open to meeting new people, but Morticia is not and wants nothing to do with the outsiders. Meanwhile, their daughter Wednesday becomes curious about the outside world and starts yearning to be part of it. Pugsley, their son, is busy preparing for his rite of passage into manhood, with Gomez and Uncle Fester guiding him.

As the story unfolds, tensions and conflicts begin to bubble to the surface, revealing how the Addamses adapt to these new dynamics and the people they encounter.

As I mentioned earlier, this animation falls just short of greatness. I hope the proposed sequel will address these shortcomings and deliver a more satisfying experience. The studio seems optimistic about the success of this installment, paving the way for a follow-up.