In The Family Plan, Mark Wahlberg plays a father with a small secret: he used to be an assassin. His past comes back to haunt him — and his family — in a film that debuts on Apple TV+ in mid December.
With that premise, it could be a gripping drama, but the flick will be an action-comedy instead.
Apple mixes action with comedy in The Family Plan
Apple TV+ films tend to be designed to win Oscars but the streaming service has tried its hand at the action-comedy genre before. Ghosted stars Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, and the spring 2023 launch was a hit — just not with critics.
It’s is trying again with The Family Plan. Apple’s summary says:
“Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) loves his quiet suburban life as a devoted husband, father of three and successful car salesman. But that’s only half the story. Decades earlier, he was an elite government assassin tasked with eliminating the world’s deadliest threats. When enemies from his past track him down, Dan packs his unsuspecting wife (Michelle Monaghan), angsty teen daughter, pro-gamer teen son and adorable 10-month-old baby into their minivan and takes off on an impromptu cross-country road trip to Las Vegas. Determined to protect his family — while treating them to the vacation of a lifetime — Dan must put his long-dormant skills into action, without revealing his true identity.”
That’s not an original concept, but action-comedies rarely have one of those. The success of The Family Plan will depend heavily on whether the screenwriters can make it clever and exciting.
Of course, the performances of the actors will play a huge role in determining whether the film flies or dies. Mark Wahlberg has shown he can handle both comedies (Ted) and action (two Transformers movies). He even has a couple of Oscar nominations.
While not as well known, Michelle Monaghan appeared in three Mission Impossible movies, was in the True Detective series, and much more.
The Family Plan also stars Zoe Colletti, Van Crosby, Saïd Taghmaoui, Maggie Q and Ciarán Hinds. It’s directed by Simon Cellan Jones and written by David Coggeshall.
Roars onto Apple TV+ on December 15
The Family Plan premieres globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, December 15, 2023.
Watching comes with a subscription to Apple’s streaming service, which costs $9.99 per month. That’s for a plan with no commercials to endure. And that same fee also includes much more than action, of course. There are dramas, comedies, science fiction, children’s shows, nature documentaries, etc.
