the joneses movie review

It’s gonna cost you to keep up with them

Ben Hollingsworth, Amber Heard, Demi Moore and David Duchovny in "The Joneses."

Everyone wants to keep up with the Joneses. They’re good-looking, friendly, popular, affluent, and they always seem ahead of the curve when it comes to what they drive, wear, play and consume. They never boast. They never have to. People just plain want to be like them. And you had better stop reading now, because it’s impossible to say more without a spoiler.

OK, for those still in the room, I wonder how many will really be surprised by the big plot “reveal.” From the first moments of dialogue, there seems to be something off about the Joneses. Nothing is made explicit for a time, but they don’t seem to relate to one another as family members. There’s something they understand and we don’t.

The fact is, they aren’t a family; they’re a marketing unit. Marketing people talk about “early adopters”: People who influence a peer group by being the first to know about, use, wear or attend something. At a conference I attended in Boulder, Colo., last week, total strangers followed Andy Ihnatko and his iPad around like a man with a T-bone at a dog pound. The Joneses are professional early adapters, paid to impersonate a family unit and consume the sponsor’s products.

Among other advantages to this story idea, it makes product placement necessary, not merely venal. If you don’t leave this movie more aware of the new Audi models, you slept through it. The Joneses never make a point of anything. It’s just that Steve Jones ( David Duchovny ) makes great shots with his new golf clubs. Kate Jones ( Demi Moore ) entertains so brilliantly. Their teenagers Jennifer ( Amber Heard ) and Mick ( Ben Hollingsworth ) wear such cool stuff. If the Joneses don’t have a dog, maybe that’s because there’s not enough money in dog retailing.

It would seem to be a comfortable existence, consuming the best products ahead of the market and never having to pay for them. It’s not that easy. It means denying your own impulses to be honest and confiding. Suppressing your own tastes. Not feeling genuine. Ask yourself who in your crowd insisted you had to see “ How to Train Your Dragon ” in 3-D, when you wanted to see it in 2-D, and what you really wanted to see was “ My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done .” That person is a Jones. You, however, are a Larry or Summer ( Gary Cole and Glenne Headly ), the next-door neighbors who are always playing catch-up. You have ceded control of your taste to someone you admire for superficial reasons. This is a doomed enterprise, for you will never, ever catch up, and by definition you can never take the lead, because the Joneses define the race.

“The Joneses” not surprisingly finds troubling flaws in the lives of this professional family. Try as they will to be disciplined and on message, they have emotions of their own. Some of them involve sex. Others involve a feeling of inner worthlessness. The strongest is Kate, played by the great-looking Demi Moore as a capable team leader aiming for a promotion. Steve is a former golf pro, so he’s no stranger to the challenge of playing a role model, but his decency runs deeper than Kate’s.

As for the kids Jennifer and Mick, well, even their names are popular; Jennifer is the 67th most popular name in the nation and Michael is the third. But they’re teenagers, and you know how that goes. So many raging hormones, either to follow or suppress. That Jennifer and Mick are so attractive, and so advanced for their age, complicates their inner lives. At that age, you haven’t been completely tamed by the corporate mind-set.

“The Joneses” was directed and co-written by Derrick Borte , an advertising man, and contains a good deal of dark cynicism. It also hopes to entertain, and those two goals don’t fit together easily. Either this is a tragic family or a satirical one, and the film seems uncertain which way to jump. In a perfect film, the noose of their inauthentic lives would draw more tightly, more swiftly, around the Joneses, and the movie might be angrier.

Still, Demi Moore is good as a corporate team player with no conscience (she could have played the George Clooney role in “ Up in the Air ”), and the others adequately act around the problems of the screenplay. It’s just that somehow this movie should acknowledge how very close to life it is, and how in our society, you don’t have to pay the Joneses. They learn their roles from television and work for free.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• David Duchovny as Steve Jones
• Amber Heard as Jennifer Jones
• Ben Hollingsworth as Mick Jones
• Lauren Hutton as Supervisor
• Demi Moore as Kate Jones
• Gary Cole as Larry
• Glenne Headly as Summer
• Randy T. Dinzler

Directed by

• Derrick Borte

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Movie review: ‘The Joneses’

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In an ideal world, it wouldn’t be necessary to reveal the sublime conceit of “The Joneses” in order to review the film. Alas, ours is a realm of planned obsolescence, next big things and false advertising. So for those who — reasonably — require more than a general endorsement of the movie’s cleverness, timeliness and strong performances, here goes:

A perfect-seeming family moves into an upscale neighborhood, generating envy and, yes, a scramble to keep up with them. How perfect are they? Dad Steve and mom Kate are played by David Duchovny and Demi Moore; the kids are gorgeous Amber Heard (in her best role to date) and handsome Ben Hollingsworth; and they have every shiny new thing high-end consumers didn’t realize they needed. The catch? They’re not a real family. They’re an advertising construct: four ace salesmodels hired by a stealth marketing company to make everyone around them want everything they have in the hopes of becoming everything the Joneses pretend to be. But when neighbors Larry and Summer get caught up on the ever-accelerating status treadmill, disaster threatens.

Great idea. And first-time writer-director-producer Derrick Borte delivers on its promise, with plenty of help from his fine cast. As the unit’s commander, Moore balances steely Kate’s career goals with a growing attraction to Steve. As the team’s newest member, Duchovny lets his charisma loose on the Audi-driving rubes around town. A lesser actor might set his charm on cruise control; Duchovny is smart enough to let Steve not know everything. His learning curve is steep — and precipitous. The family’s subtle sales pitches are expertly tuned and may feel unsettlingly familiar.

“The Joneses” is a list of grievances nailed to the door of the Church of Materialism, but the hammer never hits the audience’s fingers. This may be due to Borte’s advertising background and interest in subliminal marketing that spawned the story, and to the movie’s sly humor and occasional bouts of sexiness. But, more likely, it’s the filmmakers’ refusal to make easy targets of the privileged worshipers of stuff who are manipulated by the Joneses.

Larry and Summer have deep feelings and serious, relatable concerns. In these meaty roles, veterans Gary Cole and Glenne Headly don’t squander their opportunities. Headly is touchingly brittle, while Cole’s Larry is such a convincingly good guy, with genuine concern for his wife’s happiness, that the portrayal doesn’t give the audience room to dismiss him as some cardboard cut-out representative of the über-consumerist class.

The ending feels a bit rushed and incongruous, but the film never leaves behind the humanity of its characters, especially Steve’s as he finds his true self while playing the “perfect” version of himself. After all, even the faux-Joneses have to face, at some point, the question of what they’re really selling — and how much of themselves is included in the price.

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Movie Review | 'The Joneses'

Buy, Buy, Buy, to Keep Up With the You-Know-Whos

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By A.O. Scott

• April 15, 2010

As glossy and golden-tinged as a magazine advertisement spread, “The Joneses” proposes itself, at least at first, as a satire of modern consumerism. Members of the titular family, a foursome with perfect teeth, lithe bodies and limitless sex appeal, don’t just embody a sleek and seamless ideal of material comfort and aesthetic perfection. They also sell that ideal, with an aggression that is no less ruthless for being invisible.

The Joneses — Demi Moore and David Duchovny are the mom and dad, Amber Heard and Ben Hollingsworth their winsome teenage children — are not a family at all, but rather a team of marketers dispatched to a wealthy subdivision to seduce the natives into buying more stuff. The Joneses are employees of a mysterious company (their supervisor is mischievously played by Lauren Hutton), and their productivity is measured by their success in inducing the neighbors to keep up with them. The more golf clubs, track suits, cellphones and high-end prepared dinners that are sold, the happier the Joneses’ bosses seem to be.

But this pursuit of happiness runs into complications, most of them brought about by the intrusion of real emotions into a scene of smooth fakery. Steve, the father, has the hots for his fake wife; their bogus daughter has a thing for older men; and Mick, her brother, encounters some social confusion on his way to a full-blown identity crisis. Meanwhile the envy of the guy next door (an excellent Gary Cole) slithers from ridiculousness to tragedy.

And “The Joneses,” written and directed by Derrick Borte, unravels a tight, understated satiric premise into a soft and sentimental drama. After the Joneses’ imposture is revealed to the audience, which is almost immediately, Mr. Borte steps back to let Ms. Moore, icy and serene, and Mr. Duchovny, a master of genial smugness, stretch out and explore their surroundings and the facets of their characters.

While this happens, the movie sends out porcupine quills of social criticism, finding the soft underbelly of the debt-driven, compulsive materialism that is a pervasive aspect of American life. Suavely updating the iconography of suburban emptiness and avoiding overstatement, Mr. Borte conjures up a pleasant Stepford that runs less on robotic conformity than on endless, anxious competition. The key to the film is that it allows this life to have some real appeal.

The Joneses are good looking, and so is “The Joneses.” But the stiletto it should be concealing seems to have gotten lost on the way to the third act, when the sharp humor turns into a dull, blunt drama that lets everyone off the hook. As the shills reveal their souls, the movie turns into an exercise in the very phoniness it initially set out to expose. And since you’ve already paid for the ticket, you might end up feeling cheated.

“The Joneses” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has sex, nudity and swearing.

THE JONESES

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Written and directed by Derrick Borte; director of photography, Yaron Orbach; edited by Janice Hampton; music by Nick Urata; production designer, Kristi Zea; costumes by Renee Kalfus; produced by Doug Mankoff, Andrew Spaulding, Mr. Borte and Ms. Zea; released by Roadside Attractions. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes.

WITH: David Duchovny (Steve), Demi Moore (Kate), Amber Heard (Jenn), Ben Hollingsworth (Mick), Gary Cole (Larry), Glenne Headly (Summer), Lauren Hutton (K C), Christine Evangelista (Naomi) and Chris Williams (Billy).

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The Joneses Reviews

The Joneses is a movie with a lot to study and comment on…its unfortunate that the film does not have the same courage as its convictions. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jul 20, 2022

As far as products go, The Joneses is just shy of the real deal.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | May 19, 2021

2010's first comedy that both stimulates intellectually and elicits laughs.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 13, 2020

The Joneses, despite starring Moore and Duchovny is, nevertheless, a slyly entertaining, slick, and thought-provoking ride.

Full Review | Jan 23, 2020

Keep up with The Joneses. They are worth their weight in gold, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Sony, Disney, AT&T, fashion, food, wine.....

Full Review | Nov 13, 2019

Rather like the characters that populate its world, The Joneses only skims the surface.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2018

Joneses boasts an intriguing premise, but its uneven tone and contrived ending weaken the sale.

Full Review | Aug 6, 2018

The Joneses invites audiences to reflect on what transcendent happiness really means and how things will not fill the yearning in our hearts.

Full Review | Aug 11, 2017

As interesting as the message is with this film, it is equally as hypocritical of the movie industry to shake its finger at fads, trendsetters and materialistic nonsense.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 1, 2012

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Feb 18, 2012

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 18, 2011

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 17, 2011

Even with decent turns from the leads, and a usefully soulful one from Gary Cole as a neighbor inclined to do the proverbial keeping up, the film can't always manage to justify itself as an actual movie instead of merely a clever concept.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 12, 2011

Dawn of the Dead made a savvier commentary on consumerism and materialism.

Full Review | Apr 12, 2011

A darkly comical satire about affluence might seem a bit ill-timed during a global recession. But a strong cast makes this film very watchable, even as it slips into melodrama.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 12, 2011

The Joneses starts with a great pitch but ultimately fails to close the deal.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 12, 2011

Borte, directing his first film, does a smooth, confident job, so that even though the set-up isn't quite plausible you're happy to go along with it.

Think of it as an inverted Truman Show, with David Duchovny and Demi Moore as yuppified secret salesmen hawking an idealized suburban lifestyle while incognito.

Full Review | Original Score: 8.6/10 | Apr 12, 2011

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• DVD & Streaming

The Joneses

• Comedy , Drama

Content Caution

In Theaters

• April 16, 2010
• David Duchovny as Steve Jones; Demi Moore as Kate Jones; Amber Heard as Jenn Jones; Ben Hollingsworth as Mick Jones; Gary Cole as Larry; Glenne Headly as Summer; Christine Evangelista as Naomi; Chris Williams as Billy; Lauren Hutton as KC

Home Release Date

• August 10, 2010
• Derrick Borte

Distributor

• Roadside Attractions

Movie Review

An old cliché insists that you can’t have it all. The Joneses, however, would beg to differ.

Rolling into their new, über-upscale gated community in a gleaming Audi SUV, the Joneses are determined to make their mark. “We are gonna do some damage in this town,” Steve promises his wife, Kate, and their two high schoolers, Jenn and Mick.

Their strategy? Living life so well that everyone around them can’t help but take notice. And life is indeed good for the Joneses. They want for nothing, and they glide through their days with a stylish, effortless panache that leaves everyone in their wake aching to live the dream that seems to be reality for them.

Like all “perfect” families, however, the Joneses have a secret. And theirs is a whopper: They’re not a family at all. Instead, they’re four employees of a “stealth marketing” firm that provides them with all manner of products to integrate into their well-heeled lifestyle. The Joneses’ job? Parading the “good life” so conspicuously that it compels friends and neighbors to keep up.

Which means, of course, coughing up cash to acquire all the stuff the Joneses “casually” dangle in front of everybody—from cars to golf clubs, skateboards to perfume, gourmet food to facial treatments, jogging suits to smart phones.

But as another old saw warns, you can’t buy happiness. And that’s a reality everyone in this film eventually has to reckon with.

[ Note: The following sections contain spoilers. ]

Positive Elements

The Joneses is a lot of things: a drama, a comedy, a skewering satirical take on our culture’s addiction to consumerism. But more than those things, The Joneses is a postmodern fable that addresses the question of how we can find happiness in a world in which there’s always something new to want. Like all good fables, this one dispenses a down-to-earth moral: You can’t have it all. And even if you did, you still wouldn’t be satisfied.

That’s a truism ad agencies work hard to circumvent. Marketers of all stripes promise that if we just had x, y or z, we’d be happy. Content. The Jones family is the physical embodiment of that promise—living, breathing product placement so integrated into the life of a supposedly real family that their neighbors don’t even realize they’re being targeted. Or, as the film’s tagline says, “They’re not just living the American Dream, they’re selling it.”

And there are lots of life lessons to learn as we see that dream turn into a nightmare for almost everyone. Things begin to unravel first for the Joneses’ neighbors, Larry and Summer. The late-fortysomething couple has a house almost as nice as the Joneses, but not quite. And so Larry and Summer spend much of their time trying to match their neighbor’s lifestyle. Not only does this pursuit end in foreclosure, it utterly stifles Larry and Summer’s relationship with each other. When Larry does try to connect meaningfully with his wife, she’s too preoccupied with the pursuit of material things to pay him much heed.

Another nod I can give to this tale is connected to Steve growing increasingly disenchanted with his fake identity and his deceptive way of life. “I’m a single, 45-year-old failed golf pro car salesman pretending to be someone I’m not,” he tells Kate. And as their relationship deepens, Steve suggests, “I want you to come join me in the real world.” The movie’s conclusion turns on whether Kate will have the courage to leave her posh—but fantastically false—way of life behind in exchange for something less opulent but more genuine.

And even though the Joneses aren’t a real family, something like a family connection forms between them. Jenn and Mick struggle with the burden of living under false pretenses. Steve and Kate end up playing parental roles as they try to guide their “children” through emotional rough spots.

The sometimes fatal futility of trying to keep up with the Joneses is poignantly underscored when one character commits suicide because of debt and his inability to live up to “expectations.” That prompts Steve to confess his real identity and job to neighbors who’ve gathered.

Sexual & romantic Content

Our first clue that something is different about the Joneses comes when Kate and Steve head to separate bedrooms, even though he wants to share a bed with her. That’s clearly communicated when Steve stares at Kate’s bare legs (she’s wearing a bathrobe) after she’s showered. Kate repeatedly tries to convince Steve that their relationship is purely business. Steve, however, pursues his “wife.” Their pretend kisses get more passionate, and Steve grabs her backside in front of guests during one lengthy smooch. Eventually, they consummate their relationship (offscreen), and we see them in bed together afterwards. (Their bare shoulders are visible.)

Before we learn that the Joneses aren’t a real family, Jenn tries to seduce Steve. So it appears as though it’s his daughter who removes her clothes in his dark room and begins to get in bed with him. Kate breaks up the proceedings by turning on the lights. Several camera shots then show Jenn’s bare breasts as she argues with her “mom” about her behavior. “If you’re not going to do him, why can’t I?” Jenn yells. It’s clear that this isn’t the first time she’s tried to sleep with Steve, and it’s implied that other such trysts might have been more successful.

Kate says of Jenn’s promiscuity, “She’s got a problem,” an observation that’s validated when Jenn later has an affair with an older, married man. (We see her in bed waiting for him and hear sexual sounds coming from his boat.) The man’s wife eventually confronts Jenn and informs her that her husband has had many such affairs, and that this one is now over.

For his part, Mick tries to kiss a boy at his high school. Later, Mick confesses to his “family” that he’s gay. And taking a nasty verbal shot at Jenn, he says, “I’m gay. But at least I’m not a slut.” When the Joneses move to a new neighborhood, Mick assumes the role of a college student who’s openly gay.

Many female characters wear cleavage-revealing outfits. A scene in a high school locker room shows girls in bras and panties. After Kate talks suggestively about her toilet’s bidet-like features, a female guest creeps off to the bathroom to see if Kate has told the truth. Steve turns Kate’s discussion of how their unit is doing, sales-wise, into a dirty double entendre.

Larry repeatedly tries to initiate sex with his wife, but she always declines. Steve tells Larry that he can’t go golfing because of a muscle he pulled during “tantric sex.”

Violent Content

A woman leaves a party drunk, drives erratically and ends up having an accident. (We later see her with some bumps, bruises and a broken arm.) Mick and his friend go for a reckless ride through town. Mick’s spontaneous attempt to kiss his friend is met with a fist, as the guy pummels Mick’s face four or five times while yelling homosexual slurs at him.

Unable to keep up with the Joneses, Larry uses a garden hose to tie himself to his lawn mower before driving it into his swimming pool. We don’t see him plunge into the pool, but we do see him tethered lifelessly to the machine, wearing only his underwear. Steve pulls his body from the water.

Crude or Profane Language

About 10 f-words and half-a-dozen s-words. God’s name is taken in vain six or eight times (including one pairing with “d‑‑n”), and Jesus’ name is misused once. We also hear “h‑‑‑,” “a‑‑” and “b‑‑tard.” Sexually themed putdowns include “faggot.” We see one obscene hand gesture.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Guests at parties consume several different brands of alcohol. A certain vodka is mentioned by name, as is an upscale beer. The Joneses are chosen to receive a shipment of a new rum punch that’s packaged just like children’s juice boxes. Mick makes it available at a high school party in which many underage people get drunk. Elsewhere at that party, kids drink from a beer bong.

Mick and a high school girl toke marijuana together. Steve and some of his golf buddies smoke Cuban cigars. Jenn makes a passing comment about diet pills.

Other noteworthy Elements

Kate is determined to reach “Icon Status” in the company, a position denoted by massive sales. That goal causes her to rationalize the inherently deceptive nature of her career. She tells Steve that they’re making a connection “between products and the people who want them.” Steve and Kate lie to a police officer who’s investigating where the rum punch came from at the high school party.

I can remember a time when football stadiums had such names as Mile High instead of Invesco. I can remember a time when I got more e-mail from friends and acquaintances than I did from spammers. I can remember a time before public schools felt the need to sell ads on their buses. In short, I remember a time before marketers made a point of seizing every delivery vehicle possible to somehow catch my attention.

That world has passed away. In its place, we now have a new world in which companies of all stripes seek ever-more sophisticated and invasive ways to get consumers’ attention, to stand out from the crowd. So The Joneses imagines an outlandish—but eerily plausible—scenario in which product placement moves off of billboards, out of TV shows and junk mail, and into the house next door. While it intentionally and ironically allows itself to be a platform for product placements, it realistically depicts the outcomes of coming down with so-called affluenza : disappointment, discontentedness, disconnection and—in extreme cases—death. When it comes to finding lasting satisfaction in having the newest, shiniest stuff, then, The Joneses illustrates the futility of keeping up .

It’s a provocative film, in the best sense of that word.

But it’s also provocative in the worst sense, because first-time director Derrick Borte’s stocks his story with sexual shenanigans, “incest,” a topless young woman, teenagers getting drunk and smoking pot, and more than a few harsh profanities. So as morality tales go, this one’s potential effectiveness is undermined by the immorality it showcases along the way.

One more old saying seems appropriate here since The Joneses goes a long way toward proving it: “Too much is never enough.” Too bad the director followed that logic too far.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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The joneses — film review.

In the hands of first-time writer-director Derrick Borte, what could have been a biting black comedy taking product placement to the logical extreme instead is so obviously predictable that even a savvy cast led by David Duchovny and Demi Moore can't sell it.

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More Toronto festival reviews

TORONTO — A self-satisfied satire about a quartet of salespeople posing as your average affluent American family, “The Joneses” certainly had a workable premise at its disposal.

But in the hands of first-time writer-director Derrick Borte, what could have been a biting black comedy taking product placement to the logical extreme instead is so obviously predictable that even a savvy cast led by David Duchovny and Demi Moore can’t sell it.

Emerging from the Toronto International Film Festival without a domestic-distribution deal, the film can’t help but draw comparisons to “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” another ill-timed comedy about raging consumerism that few found funny given the current economic climate.

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From the get-go, there’s something a little too perfect about the Joneses, the attractive, confident brood that recently moved into their fabulously furnished home in a decidedly upscale suburb.

As it turns out, Steve (Duchovny), Kate (Moore) and their teenaged kids, Jenn (Amber Heard) and Mick (Ben Hollingsworth), aren’t a real family at all but a grouping of slick shills assembled by boss Lauren Hutton with the intention of getting the neighbors to lust after their cool stuff.

They would include the highly acquisitive Larry (Gary Cole) and his wife (Glenne Headly), who turn out to be seriously overextended as it is, and you don’t need a sales manual to see where things are headed.

Borte, who comes from the world of commercials, signals every intended plot twist and turn so far in advance, it’s way too easy to keep up with “The Joneses.” One expects a subliminal message of some sort, but it’s all on the surface.

It still works up to a point, largely because of the persuasive qualities of its cast, notably Duchovny’s raffish charm and Moore’s spirited hustle, which in tandem generates a palpable chemistry.

Or maybe that’s just what they wanted you to think.

Venue: Toronto International Film Festival Production: Echo Lake Prods. Cast: David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Gary Cole, Glenne Headly, Lauren Hutton Director-screenwriter: Derrick Borte Producers: Doug Mankoff, Andrew Spaulding, Derrick Borte, Kristi Zea. Executive producers: Sheetal Talwar, Tom Luse, Paul Young, Peter Principato Director of photography: Yaron Orbach Production designer: Kristi Zea Music: Nick Urata Costume designer: Renee Kalfus Editor: Janice Hampton Sales: FilmNation Entertainment/ICM No rating, 93 minutes

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The Joneses Review

23 Apr 2010

Joneses, The

A case study in how a killer idea and on-form cast can come together to not quite work, this long-delayed effort centres on a picture-perfect ‘family’ whose entire lives are a form of guerrilla marketing. By their attractive, high-gloss, perfectly dressed examples they become style leaders in their small town, sending sales of everything they touch skyrocketing — until their own relationships, and the relentless pressure of seeming perfection, sends them faltering.

Both Demi Moore and David Duchovny remind us why they used to be huge, but while the attacks on consumer culture are largely effective, by portraying the ‘family’s’ employers in a cuddly rather than rapacious light the drama is drained of tension and the satire deprived of teeth.

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The joneses.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 1 Review
• Kids Say 3 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Teen sex, drugs, drinking pop up in satire on materialism.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this worthy satire pokes fun at materialism while making it look very tantalizing in the process (thanks to a load of product placement throughout the film). One of the teen girl characters is sexually intimate with at least two older men, and we see her breasts briefly and hear sexual sounds…

Why Age 17+?

Where to start? The film is laden with labels, everything from Van Cleef and Arp

Social drinking; teens imbibe alcohol at a party and drive while loaded; teen po

Some strong language, including "bitch," "s--t," "ass" and "f--k." Also, one "Go

A teenager is seen quickly getting into the bed of an older man naked, though th

A teenager punches another guy who makes a pass at him and yells out a homophobi

Any Positive Content?

It's simple, really: Things won't make you happy. They can even make you downrig

The Joneses are seen as role models in the movie, and yet clearly they're flawed

Products & Purchases

Where to start? The film is laden with labels, everything from Van Cleef and Arpels, Audi, MBT sneakers, Dell, YSL, Style.com, and even a toilet named Toto. Many logos are visible, many products name-checked. The movie is practically the Home Shopping Network. But all this is intended to poke fun at our cultural obsessions with products like these.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Social drinking; teens imbibe alcohol at a party and drive while loaded; teen pot-smoking and diet pill overuse.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Some strong language, including "bitch," "s--t," "ass" and "f--k." Also, one "Goddamn."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A teenager is seen quickly getting into the bed of an older man naked, though the audience doesn't get a glimpse of anything else but her breasts (and only briefly at that). She is also shown under covers with her shoulders bared, making out with another, also older, man. They're also heard moaning off-camera. A couple kisses passionately a few times. Some sexual innuendos.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

A teenager punches another guy who makes a pass at him and yells out a homophobic slur. A couple argues loudly. A character commits suicide by drowning himself.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

It's simple, really: Things won't make you happy. They can even make you downright miserable. Still, there's a reason why spending to get them is so alluring. But there's a bigger price to pay than what's on the receipt; and behind every product is a salesperson who cares not a whit about what happens to you if you buy more than you can afford.

Positive Role Models

The Joneses are seen as role models in the movie, and yet clearly they're flawed and, more important, happily so. (They sure do make the pursuit of products look so good.) Others covet what they have and make spending decisions accordingly. Teenagers drink and drive drunk, and hold in high regard those who have the latest and greatest (just like their parents). Many of them suffer the consequences, and the downsides of their seemingly perfect lifestyles are unmasked.

Parents need to know that this worthy satire pokes fun at materialism while making it look very tantalizing in the process (thanks to a load of product placement throughout the film). One of the teen girl characters is sexually intimate with at least two older men, and we see her breasts briefly and hear sexual sounds, though no activity appears onscreen. A teen boy kisses another boy before being rebuffed. Teens drink alcohol and drive drunk. There's some pot-smoking and diet pill-popping, along with a good amount of swearing ("f--k" and "bitch"). Yet the movie has the potential to start some meaningful discussions about materialism and how products are sold to consumers. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (1)
• Kids say (3)

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

They've just moved in, and yet it's already hard to keep up with the Joneses. First, they're gorgeous. Steve ( David Duchovny ) is witty and wired with all the latest gadgets, and has a mean golf swing. Kate ( Demi Moore ) looks half her age, hosts a mean dinner party, and keeps a beautiful home filled with covetable things. Their kids ( Amber Heard and Ben Hollingsworth) are stylish and instantly popular at the high school. It's no surprise then that their next-door neighbors, Larry ( Gary Cole ) and Summer (Glenne Headly), want to be them. Little do they know, however, that the Joneses are picture-perfect for a reason, and that reason strikes at the heart of every American consumer. They have products to sell, and their role is to make their neighbors buy them.

Is It Any Good?

How wonderful it is to fall in love with David Duchovny once more; THE JONESES gives him another chance to dazzle with his dry wit and observational stance. As Steve, he leads the audience in this satirical journey into the heart and soul(lessness) of abject consumerism. (Moore is a revelation, too. Finally, she has a part that doesn't just trade on her looks, even though appearances matter much here.) It's mostly successful; first-time director Derrick Borte handles the enterprise assuredly, and the supporting cast, especially Cole, adds layers to what could have been a superficial indictment of materialism and advertising. We are living in a material world, indeed.

Nevertheless, a shift in tone near the end, though adding gravity to the proceedings, diminishes the cheeky glee that earlier gives the film such lift. (Think Ocean's 11 .) The Joneses has a message, we understand that, but in making sure it gets delivered, it loses its verve. Must a movie become self-serious in order to make its very true, and very important, point?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the marketing tactic that the Joneses employ: Is it believable? Is it, in fact, happening now to a certain extent?

What is marketing , and how does it work in everyday life? What makes consumers want to buy what they do?

What are the consequences of overspending? What is its allure considering how destructive it can be?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 16, 2010
• On DVD or streaming : August 9, 2010
• Cast : Amber Heard , David Duchovny , Demi Moore , Gary Cole
• Director : Derrick Borte
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Bisexual actors
• Studio : Roadside Attractions
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 96 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : language, some sexual content, teen drinking and drug use
• Last updated : October 27, 2023

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Imagine an advertising firm wanted to pay you to use a particular kind of phone and all you have to do is tell your friends about how great it is, does that sound ethical to you? What if you were paid to move into a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife, cute kids and all the cool stuff you could imagine and all you have to do is tell people that, that is your life and encourage them to want what you had, would that be ethical? Would you consider that lying? Those are exactly the questions posed by the new fascinating and extremely entertaining black comedy, " The Joneses ." David Duchovny and Demi Moore star in the film, in two terrific performances, as the married couple who are actually strangers pretending to have the perfect life together. Equally excellent in the film is the great Gary Cole, who seems to steal every scene in every movie he's in, and veteran actress Glenne Headly as the envious next door neighbors desperate to have the life that they see advertised next door.

The film, in tone, reminds me of Duchovney's other great black comedy, '2006s "The TV Set" and the actor is just as good, if not better here. Of course, Duchovney is best known for playing Agent Fox Mulder on "The X-Files" TV series and in the films, as well as his current hit show "Californication," but the actor does have a reputation for picking unusual yet intriguing film projects and quite often gives a bold and daring performance. That is no different in this movie as the actor has an opportunity to show all of his wide range of emotions in the film. Demi Moore was for some time one of the most popular actresses in the world. She's since semi-retired to raise her daughters but now that most of them are grown, in fact Rumor is an accomplished actress in her own right now, she is back in front of the camera and if her performance here is any example of the work she is capable of doing then the actress still has some of the best work of her career left ahead for audiences to enjoy. Her performance her is both sophisticated and vulnerable, while she is completely believable in every scene she's in. Moore's icy cool demeanor is perfect for the role.

The film begins by introducing us to the Joneses, a new family moving into an upper-class suburban neighborhood. Steve (Duchovny) and Kate (Moore) seem to have the perfect lives. They have two beautiful children, Jenn (Amber Heard) and Mick (Ben Hollingsworth), they live in a gorgeous house, they have great cars and all the latest cool stuff. They are instantly liked and envied by everyone in the neighbor hood by the Joneses are harboring dark secret ... it's not real! You see Steve, Kate, Jenn and Mick are not a real family. They don't even really known each other. They are essentially actors, paid by a marketing firm to display the perfect life and make all their friends and neighbors want the same state-of-the-art stuff that they have. Steve is new at this but catching on quick while Kate is an old pro who hopes to earn a corporate position soon. The Joneses are a hit in the neighborhood right away, however their perfect lives could begin to unravel.

Jenn is a sex addict and begins to seduce several married men in the neighborhood while Mick quickly finds a popular girlfriend, but he has a secret as well ... he's gay. Things get more complicated as Steve begins to have feelings for Kate. As the team continues to sell with great success the Joneses befriend the next-door neighbors, Larry and Summer, brilliantly played by Gary Cole and Glenne Headly, respectively. Larry and Summer try desperately to "keep up" with the Joneses but that just begins to create financial problems for the couple. As the Joneses lies become bigger and bigger, their perfect life becomes threatened by local tragedy and Steve, a former golf-pro and used car salesman comes face to face with morals and ethics that he didn't even know he had. In the end, while it may be a fake family, it's the only family he has and he will stop at nothing to keep them together as he realizes that he truly loves Kate. Now Kate must choose between the posh life that she thought she wanted and the real love that she has found with Steve.

Also giving a fine performance in the film is Lauren Hutton, who plays the wise yet cold corporate handler for the family. Both Heard and Hollingsworth are adequate in their performances as well. But it is the work of Duchovny, Moore, Cole and Headly that is really excellent here. All four actors display a depth and understanding for the material that comes out in every moment of their performances. While Duchovny and Moore definitely center the movie and carry most of the weight on their own, it's Cole's breakout performance as the decent yet tragic neighbor that will have people talking. Cole has been giving great performances for years and while he is still best known for his role in the cult classic "Office Space," hopefully this movie will go along way to showing the true range of the actor. First time writer/director Derrick Borte certainly did not pull any punches with his first feature, as it is a powerful, thought provoking and darkly funny film. In the end, The Joneses will make you think about the importance that we put on consumer products in this country and how it affects our lives while making you laugh and entertaining you at the same time with the film's brilliant performances.

• Movie and TV Reviews
• The Joneses (2010)

Review: The Joneses

Published April 16, 2010 Reviews By Robert Levin Disclaimer When you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a commission.

The descriptor “high concept” is so often bandied about by critics that it’s become a cliché, but there’s no better way to frame The Joneses , from writer-director Derrick Borte. Fortunately, the concept the picture employs is a pungent one, aptly applied to a consumerist world. It’s out there but plausible, a logical extension of the steadfast drive toward invasive targeted marketing that’s a hallmark of an age in which everything and everyone has a price.

The immaculately attired, catalogue-caliber handsome Jones family, newly arrived to a resplendent mansion in a tony suburb, seems too perfect to be true. And, as we learn when “daughter” Jenn (Amber Heard) strips and fondles “dad” Steve ( David Duchovny ), they are. Professional salespeople, recruited to form a faux clan, their job is to fan out among their neighbors and push as many goods, high and low end, as possible.

Steve sets his sights on the big spenders at the golf course. With her luxury furnishings and designer wardrobe, “mom” Kate (Demi Moore) goes after the housewives. Jenn and her “brother” Mick (Ben Hollingsworth) show up at the local high school and within minutes of screen time amass the large followings of icons.

Borte gets ample mileage out of the premise without heightening things to an absurd degree. Working in an observational mode, with actors and without a single talking head or statistic, he aptly expresses the subtle ways this mass, all-encompassing commodifying is destroying our collective sense of self.

It’s a wearisome burden, looking to products for self-validation, measuring one’s worth by the size of your bank account and proliferation of playthings. The film smartly strips the fun and the sexiness out of buying a sleek new car, or fancy tableware. In the second thoughts that begin to percolate within Steve, a newbie at this sort of operation, and the emasculation of next door neighbor Larry ( Gary Cole ) – who can’t keep up with the Joneses – the film adeptly draws out the sinister nature of such a superficially lavish lifestyle. The American Dream of 2010 is reformatted into a weighty albatross.

The picture does a less credible job of inspiring investment in the Joneses themselves, save for Steve, who Duchovny plays with enough regular guy charm to be an effective conduit for the audience’s sympathies. Yet the other family members are so painstakingly picturesque the movie might not work as well were they to reveal an otherwise hidden third dimension, suddenly spouting off about literature and politics. These are people who must live in and love a soulless world driven by consumption, with home and work, the personal and the professional combined in an unwieldy mess. They are the characters they play.

Visually, the movie further expands on that essential notion. Operating with a straightforward, glossy exterior, presenting a glamorous milieu shot with an advertiser’s fetishizing lens, the movie looks like the cinematic version of one of the Joneses’ products. A sly, smart satire, however, is buried therein. The Joneses frames us as prisoners of our desires, trapped in a world of our own making.

The Upside: The movie is centered on a clever premise that effectively comments our society’s obsession with products.

The Downside: It’s hard to care too much about the plight of the Joneses.

On the Side: The Joneses is Derrick Borte’s feature filmmaking debut.

Robert Levin

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The Joneses

Details: 2009, USA, Cert 15, 95 mins

Direction: Derrick Borte

Genre: Drama

Summary: A seemingly perfect couple and their two teenage children are the envy of their gated community - but the neighbours are blissfully unaware of their dirty secret

With: Amber Heard ,  Ben Hollingsworth ,  David Duchovny ,  Demi Moore ,  Gary Cole ,  Glenne Headly and Lauren Hutton

Our reviews

Philip french, peter bradshaw, user reviews, related articles, consumerism triumphs in the joneses, the joneses: 'a bright and glossy satire of our bright and glossy culture'.

Xan Brooks recommends that you buy into Derrick Borte's sharply played look at consumerism, with David Duchovny and Demi Moore as a fake family subliminally flogging luxury goods to their neighbours

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Movie Review: The Joneses

This take on "stealth marketing" is original - but doesn't quite convince

The Joneses

Cert: 15, 96 mins

Starring: Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Ben Hollingsworth

The Joneses sounds like a great film, until you have to watch it. That’s when it becomes a distinctly average one. David Duchovny is married to Demi Moore , and together they are The Joneses , who’ve recently moved to a new neighbourhood with their oh-so-perfect kids ( Ben Hollingsworth and Amber Heard ).

Only, they’re not The Joneses at all – they’re a family unit of “stealth marketers”, employed to stroll around town wearing the latest clothes, using the latest gadgets, drinking the latest drinks, and therefore getting all their new friends to do the same. As the tagline could have said: Stealth marketing, scary huh?

And it would be, if any of it made sense. Certainly, there’s a good 20 minutes when this seems an incredibly clever idea for a film – you get to explore the nature of marketing, the inherent dishonesty of advertising in human form, the way that we all, in some ways, become what we do for a living – but pretty soon you realise that, barring the odd scene thrown in the direction of these ideas, this is essentially the cartoon version of what a good film could have been.

Example: Duchovny and Moore invite their neighbours in for a drink, and give one of them (played by Gary Cole ) a beer. It’s a Stella , a product The Joneses are marketing. “You’re right!” exclaims Cole as if he’s discovered how to turn metal to gold, “that’s a really good beer!”. It’s a Stella . A Stella! Have you not had a beer of any kind before, Gary ? Or any variety of chilled beverage? Because, really, that’s the only explanation for his reaction. And so it goes with every product they flog – from mobile phones to golf clubs to cars to skate boards to – in one inexplicable instance – a particular combo of scarf and lipstick. “What?” you feel like screaming. “You people never knew these things existed before? It’s just a scarf and lipstick, so what if Amber Heard is wearing it?”

I kid you not, most of this is done in montage, and at the end, virtually every girl in the high-school is wearing this same scarf and lipstick due to Amber’s “stealth marketing” campaign (ie wearing it and looking hot). I’m sorry, that’s not stealth marketing, that’s mass hysteria, and trust me, if the advertising companies could bottle that, they would.

And so, the rest of the film – with, predictably, some of the people biting off more than they can chew in buying these products – loses any foothold it had on reality.

It’s all the more frustrating because, just beneath the surface, there’s a very good film here just waiting to get out. You can see it in the moments of mournful regret of Duchovny’s character, a washed-up golf pro who doesn’t know what he’s doing with his life. Or the “son”, and how he’s playing a role in more ways than one. Sadly, the script needed a few more drafts and a more delicate directorial hand to dig them out. As far as products go, The Joneses is just shy of the real deal.

Stuart McGurk

5 out of 10

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The Joneses

• A seemingly perfect family moves into a suburban neighborhood, but when it comes to the truth as to why they're living there, they don't exactly come clean with their neighbors.
• "The Joneses", a social commentary on our consumerist society. Perfect couple Steve and Kate Jones, and their gorgeous teen-aged children Jenn and Mick, are the envy of their posh, suburban neighborhood filled with McMansions and all the trappings of the upper middle class. Kate is the ultimate trend setter - beautiful, sexy, dressed head-to-toe in designer labels. Steve is the admired successful businessman who has it all: a gorgeous wife, big house and an endless supply of high-tech toys. Jenn and Mick rule their new school as they embody all that is hip and trendy - cool clothes, fast cars and the latest gadgets. But as the neighbors try to keep up with the Joneses, none are prepared for the truth about this all- too perfect family. — Publicist
• The well-off Joneses - husband and wife Steve and Kate, and their two high school student offspring Mick and Jenn - have just moved into a McMansion in an upscale neighborhood, they, among the "beautiful" people, outwardly affable and thus easy to make friends, who like to display and share their status-symbol toys with those they meet. The reason for this situation is that it is their job in not really being a family - none whose real surname is Jones - but the latest comprised unit of a stealth marketing company, their performance measured by how many units of their clients' merchandise they are able to sell to their targets i.e. their neighbors and others within their newly developed social circle, and the percentage increase in month to month sales, each situation for a year or two before moving on to working within the next unit of "Joneses" in another neighborhood. This unit is Kate's first as lead, she, a veteran in the industry, who is all business in striving for moving into the highest status level of the company in dealing with the highest end products. While their overall initial performance is good to excellent, cracks are slowly starting to form in the unit, Kate who has to deal with them as she is effectively the boss. Mick is getting tired of the make believe in hiding something inherent about his being. Jenn has a growing penchant for more mature men, this neighborhood ripe with them, including one in her own household. And for Steve, this his first job in the industry as a failed golf pro turned car salesman - hence he tasked largely with pushing cars and golf equipment - he took this job largely in moving into middle age and secretly wanting a real family, he potentially seeing Kate not only as a make believe wife. Their situation in this neighborhood reaches another level of complexity in dealing with their next door neighbors, the Symonds, Summer Symonds who is all about those status symbols as she too tries to push her beauty products to the neighborhood wives, and her husband Larry Symonds who does whatever he can to make Summer happy in a less than ideal home life. — Huggo
• The Joneses - Steve and Kate and teenaged children Jenn and Mick - move into a suburban neighbourhood and seem the perfect family. Good-looking, successful, trend-setting, engaging - they seem to have it all and are the model family. However, all this is a façade and hides an astonishing secret. — grantss

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Movie Review

The joneses.

US Release Date: 04-16-2010

Directed by: Derrick Borte

Starring ▸ ▾

• David Duchovny ,  as
• Steve Jones
• Demi Moore ,  as
• Amber Heard ,  as
• Ben Hollingsworth ,  as
• Gary Cole ,  as
• Larry Symonds
• Glenne Headly ,  as
• Summer Symonds
• Lauren Hutton ,  as
• Chris Williams as

Ben Hollingsworth, Amber Heard, Demi Moore and David Duchovny play the

The Joneses (as in "Keeping up with...") never really works on any level.  It wants to make a statement about our culture of mass consumption, but its message is muddled and aimed at the wrong target.  It also wants to be funny, but it never elicits more than a chuckle.  For this movie to work it should really have gone surreal and out there or took a stance and stood by it, but it never does.

Duchovny and Moore play Steve and Kate Jones, a seemingly rich, happy, good looking and all around perfect couple who are the parents of Jenn and Mick Jones, the seemingly perfect teenage son and daughter.  I say seemingly (and if you saw the previews, you already know this) because in reality they're not a family at all, but marketers who pose as a family, move into an affluent neighborhood and try to start fashion and shopping trends in the area by becoming popular and showing off all their possessions so that soon everyone will want to be like them.  Things don't go that smoothly though when the "daughter", who isn't really a teenager, starts having an affair with a much older man.  The son, who's supposed to be a ladies man, turns out to be gay and makes a pass at his "girlfriend's" brother.  Things get further complicated when Steve starts to really fall for Kate.

The message of the movie is definitely muddled.  It shows through the neighbor, played by Gary Cole, what the cost of trying to keep up with the Joneses can be, but who's it blaming?  Is it blaming the neighbor who foolishly tries to live beyond his means?  Or is it trying to misplace the blame onto society as represented by the Joneses?  Or is it just reporting things and letting the audience sort it out?  Whatever the case, it's not saying anything original or meaningful.

I found it ironic that a movie that seemed to condemning consumerism features several instances of blatant product placement.  Dell computer and Audi both feature heavily in the film.  Is it this commercialism that holds the script back since they can't anger the people putting up the money for it?

At least the cast is good. Moore and Duchovny are believable in their parts, even if you never really learn that much about them. Likewise Heard and Hollingsworth do a decent enough job as the daughter and son.  They're just not given enough to work with.

With the recent recession and consumer spending dropping and a backlash against commercialism happening, you'd think this movie could find plenty to say, but instead it plays it very safe and rather dull.

I would buy what their selling.

The message of the movie is not at all muddled.  It is definitely condemning consumerism and our free market as represented by  the Joneses.  This is exemplified by Steve's speech at the end when he announces that he has lied to everyone.  He reveals it as if it means anything.   We are surrounded by ads, commercials, televisions and movies that try to sell us lies to separate us from our paycheck.  What the Joneses do in this movie is nothing that has not been going on for years, other than they are organized as a business in the film.

The Joneses are not bad people, or at all evil, but the movie treats them as criminals.  Look how they scurry away like rats exposed to the sun, as Steve spills the beans on their actual "family" dynamics.  It is not a crime to move into a neighborhood and flaunt your possessions, or lie about the relationship of the person living with you.  Their one crime may be that the "son" and "daughter" are actually adults pretending to be high schoolers. 

Speaking of the "son" and "daughter',  they are horribly unprofessional business salesmen.  Jenn jumps into bed with Steve and a middle aged neighbor.  Mick tries to kiss a guy who has made no indication that he would reciprocate.   Who hired them?  Kate comes across as a hard ass, goal oriented professional, but then gets all motherly when the trampy Jenn gets dumped by her married lover. 

This movie starts out all about business and capitalism but then dissolves into a liberal message about how feelings and emotions are more important than making money.   This could have worked if the family in question was a real family that had gotten side tracked by their own greed, and needed to be reminded of some simple family values.  

As it is I never bought any of the characters.   Steve was a stud who falls in love with Kate out of what, convenience?  Kate is focused on her career until Steve kisses her passionately?  Really?  Jenn was hired to pose as a high schooler to sell other girls products but she puts her efforts into an affair outside of school.  Mick has no personality other than he is gay.  

The Joneses states the obvious, that we all want a better life and some of us are willing to go into debt for it.   It proceeds to treat the purveyors of merchandise as villains who meet in dark windowed limosines and behind closed doors. They treat them as if they are forcing people to buy things.  Forcing someone to purchase a particular item is criminal in the likes of mobsters shaking down a business for protection money.  No one can force you to buy anything, except our government, with such things as healthcare and LED light bulbs.

Photos © Copyright Roadside Attractions (2010)

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The Joneses Movie Review 

Is it worth it keeping up with the Joneses?

That’s a question the 2009 Comedy “The Joneses” constantly asks the audience.

When I saw the film starring Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth for the first time in theaters over a decade ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even now, it stuck with me.

It’s a poignant take on consumerism and that drive to fit in by having all of the right stuff. But, of course, what’s impressive about this movie is that it came out before the wide adoption of social media sites like Instagram, where having the right stuff is essential. 

The movie calls their form of marketing ’self-marketing,’ which is close to the social concept of influencers but way more secretive. The writers got the influence of the influencers right but couldn’t predict that influencers would be so shameless in their push of products that they would be open about it. That’s not a shot at influencers. They are modern salespeople disguised as lifestyle bloggers or ‘brands’. In fact almost everyone is an influencer in some way. I’ve even written plenty of sponsored articles in my time. No shade here. 

The Joneses: What’s the premise? 

Okay, the idea is both wild and genius. Perfect for a modern comedy. 

The movie follows the perfect white family, the Joneses, that moves into a new wealthy American suburb and quickly becomes the most popular family in town. The twist is that the family is fake. They are all actors/ marketers who get paid a lot of money to infiltrate new neighborhoods with high buying power so they can increase sales of luxury products such as Audi automobiles and jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels. The movie’s tagline is: “They’re not just living the American Dream. They’re selling it.” 

How are they able to do this? Well, the movie makes it seem pretty simple. First, an organization puts together the perfect family; a classic 4 unit of husband, wife, son, and daughter who are incredibly good-looking and charismatic. The fake family then establishes themselves in their respective domains, such as the high school, country club, or hair salon, to gain the trust of their neighbors and peers, who are completely oblivious that they’re being sold. 

They recommend products to them as any friend would do. For example, when at the golf range, Steve Jones, played by the charismatic David Duchovney, recommends his clubs to his new buddies because they added 40 yards to his drive.   

After gaining the trust, they can recommend all of the newest and coolest things in every category, from beverages to vacations, and they do a fantastic job at it. Until, of course, there are unfortunate events that cause the whole thing to unravel. You can watch the trailer here .  

Why should you care about The Joneses?

The Joneses is a well-made film. It’s a slick, quick outing (96 min) that’s well shot, written, and acted. I would say it’s hilarious in the first half, and then it gets darker in the second. 

The Joneses is one of those movies that makes you think about your spending habits and your desire to want all of the “right stuff.”. Is it believable? No, not in 2022, but companies are so quickly able to infiltrate our lives that it’s not hard to imagine this type of guerilla marketing in the near, dystopian-esque future, especially with customer acquisition costs going up so much .  

I’ve always been someone who notices brands, like what shoes a person is wearing or the logo of the car someone’s driving. Not that I’m one to make a judgment. Maybe I do judge subconsciously, but it’s just silly in some cases. Should you care if someone is wearing Nike sneakers at the gym versus Under Armor ones? But of course, Nike and Under Armor spend millions in marketing campaigns to make you think that people will. No one ever wants to wear undesirable sneakers or drive an undesirable car. Of course, the root of the desire is always a tricky one.

The Joneses: Modern Materialism

It makes one ask the question, why do we want the material things we want? Is it because someone is good at marketing to our communities or us? Will it make us feel better once I have it, or will we appreciate it less? Do Nike’s really make you run faster or jump higher?

Buying necessary things can be great, right? When your laptop breaks, it’s nice to buy the latest model because you believe it will be the best for your needs. When you search for a car, you usually want the best you can afford. Marketing and branding are ways for companies to show you which items are best suited to solve your problems or ignite your desires. We do often ask friends and family for recommendations about things to buy. In these instances, we do not assume that our friends will make money from their advice, as an influencer might, making the transaction feel more genuine. 

That’s one of the reasons the concept is so clever. In addition, the characters are so convincing and seemingly genuine that the people of the town have no clue that they are selling them a lifestyle, making the strategy that much stronger. 

Why it’s not perfect

One of the main issues with the movie is how little intelligence it gives to the other characters. Sure the Joneses family are attractive, and it makes sense that others would want to buy the same things to keep up with them, but it goes to extremes to make a point. I like that the family sometimes grapples with what they’re doing, but I wish the film covered it in more detail. Again it’s a short comedy, but I think the concept is so strong that they could have gone a bit further into the mindset of The Joneses.  

Why you should see it 

The Joneses movie makes you think about your desires in a new way. Why do I want that expensive item? Is it because my friend has it, or someone cool is wearing it? Admittedly, when I see a celebrity I admire wearing something, it does make me want one more, so I can feel more like them. Sponsored marketing works, but it’s in your face, whereas this form of marketing is deceptive, making it clever and concerning. It’s rare to see a comedy that makes you think so much about yourself and your place in the modern American consumerist culture. While the movie isn’t perfect, it’s wickedly entertaining, which in my opinion, is more important for a comedy. 

The Joneses is written and directed by Derrick Stacey Borte in a fantastic directorial debut. You can check it out on Amazon Prime Video and Peacock. 

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Movie Review: “The Joneses”

Steve Jones (David Duchovny), his beautiful wife Kate ( Demi Moore ), and their teenaged kids Mick (Ben Hollingsworth) and Jenn ( Amber Heard ), have just moved into a nameless suburban area, and before long everyone in town wants what they have, unaware that that is precisely their purpose – they’re stealth marketers disguised as a family unit, each member tasked with selling a particular line of products. House leader Kate has the best sales figures, but Steve, the newest member of this family, is a fast learner, and soon has neighbor Larry (Gary Cole) wanting everything he owns. However, like real families, the Joneses are severely dysfunctional, and their personal indiscretions threaten to blow the lid off of their cover.

It’s a hell of a premise, to be sure, and never mind that there isn’t a corporation on the planet with the power to fake school transcripts, get employees enrolled into universities, etc. That’s easy enough to forgive. What isn’t so easy to forgive is the glaring character flaws that have been assigned to Mick, Jenn and Larry in order for the story to wag its finger at the evils of advertising and the pursuit of the so-called American Dream. Mick’s mistake is the most forgivable, since he merely showed poor judgment in a moment of weakness (though he still should have known better), but the script makes it clear that corporate is aware of Jenn’s issues, yet they allow her to continue to undermine their efforts. As for Larry, if he was really the kind of person who would do what he ultimately does, he would have done it long before the Joneses came to town. It’s all too easy, not to mention contemptuous.

Thank goodness, then, for Duchovny, whose affable nature actually makes you want the Joneses to succeed, even when they’re pushing alcoholic beverages on underage kids. That his character is blessed with the only common sense of the bunch is a plus, though Demi Moore is also strangely likable as the all-business den mother. Heard and Hollingsworth do fine with what they’re given, but that isn’t much, while Cole is wasted in the role of the covetous neighbor. Lauren Hutton’s appearance as the Joneses’ supervisor is just stunt casting.

There is a great movie to be made with this subject matter, but “The Joneses” takes the easy way out in favor of exploring the complexities of the co-workers-as-family dynamic, and it barely touches on the moral obligations that come with selling people things they don’t need. It’s so clear what side the filmmakers are on that it’s difficult to get emotionally involved. Movies should love their characters, even the flawed ones. “The Joneses” loves Duchovny, and tolerates everyone else.

2.5 / 5 Stars Starring: Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Ben Hollingsworth, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Glenne Headly, Lauren Hutton Director: Derrick Borte

Single-Disc Blu-Ray Review:

“The Joneses” limps onto Blu-ray with a pair of deleted scenes (an extended version of Steve’s job interview and an alternate ending) that aren’t particularly interesting. It’s better than nothing, but when the bonus material is this thin, it’s not worth the effort.

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