My Uncle Jens Film Review: Funny & Fitting

Brwa Vahabpour’s My Uncle Jens deftly balances humor and severe material, because of competent course and dedicated performances.

The movie will get proper to it in its first scene, depicting the uncle’s (Hamza Agoshi) arrival at Akam’s (Peiman Azizpour) residence. One of many film’s charms is its capability to chop out potential fluff that usually weighs down comedies like these. Director Brwa Vahabpour, in his function debut, is aware of the story he desires to inform and doesn’t let potential distractions or comedic rabbit holes get in his means. He is aware of the right time to hit the viewers with a joke or witty second from one in every of his characters, and he additionally is aware of the right time to go severe. He lets his competent course and modifying take the story the place it must go, quite than merely hitting his viewers with one punchline after one other. Maybe My Uncle Jens’s biggest accomplishment is that weaving of great subjects into the pretty comedic story. 

For a film like this to actually work, the leads have to not solely give good performances but in addition play off one another. Each Peiman Azizpour and Hamza Agoshi understood the project, figuring out when to be goofy and when to be grounded. Each characters, together with the supporting gamers, really feel like actual individuals, giving this movie a dose of actuality a narrative like this wants and sometimes lacks. 

Many comedies lean into their humor on the danger of their dramatic impression, however My Uncle Jens takes a unique, finally satisfying method. Referring to themes like household, immigration, and cultural and generational variations, this movie clearly has extra on its thoughts than the common comedy. Whereas none of those themes are deeply explored, their very presence is a welcome contact, one that offers the movie an air of significance. It constantly peels again its personal layers, as Akam and the viewers proceed to be taught extra in regards to the mysterious uncle. There’s an nearly mysterious high quality to all of it, making it attention-grabbing, thought-provoking, and, sure, fairly humorous in its situational settings.

All through the story, Akam helps and tutors a younger highschool scholar struggling in one in every of his literature lessons. These scenes provide a glimpse into Akam’s life exterior of the turmoil occurring along with his newly arrived uncle. That is one other instance of the movie’s maturity, permitting the viewers a glimpse into these characters. “Mature” could be the very best phrase to explain Vahabpour’s debut. My Uncle Jens will not be fairly as impactful because it may very well be, but it surely delivers laughs and, most likely extra importantly, will get us to consider our world and a few widespread, common points in a nuanced means, particularly for a comedy. 

My Uncle Jens had its World Premiere at SXSW on March 10, 2025 and can be screened once more on March 11-14. Read our SXSW reviews and our list of films to watch at SXSW 2025!