Jim Jarmusch returns to an episodic, stylised format. Here, the three stories presented are so similar yet so distinct. They all revolve around estranged families and share recurring motifs (water, toasts, skaters, Rolex watches, colour‑matching, and the ever‑present “Bob’s your uncle”). Yet the dynamics shift each time: in the first tale, we get an eccentric father with a cordial sibling relationship; in the second, the odd one out is one of the sisters; and in the third, the parents are the peculiar ones while the siblings get along perfectly well.

Sobriety defines the tone of the entire film: stridency is avoided, and restraint is key. Visually, the framing is striking, with beautifully composed overhead shots throughout. Jarmusch balances, with remarkable precision, an uncomfortable strain of comedy with family drama, using silences that speak louder than words in revealing how characters relate to one another. Even in the final story, you can easily imagine that if the parents were present with their children, silence would still be the dominant force.

Yet these very strengths also become, albeit not severely, the film’s own limitations. Its repetitive nature, heightened by the viewer being constantly on the lookout for the self‑referential touches, occasionally pulls you slightly off track.

Similarly, the delivery is uneven. The first story is undoubtedly the strongest, perhaps because it feels the freshest and most original. By the time we reach the second, it is difficult not to feel that it treads too closely to the first. The third, while offering a perceptible shift, ultimately falls short of achieving the same level of emotional resonance.