Caught in the winter doldrums between Christmas and waiting for the cold weather to disappear entirely, movie enthusiasts switching gears from holiday-themed films and their usual foray have never had a film to bridge the gap. Until now, anyway. Mother Father Sister Brother Frank sure feels like a holiday movie, instilling a heap of family catharsis and a warm, feel-good sentiment to this old-fashioned Sunday dinner, even if it is served with a side of premeditated murder.

Setting itself in the dead of winter, Mother Father Sister Brother Frank tells the story of the Jennings, a nuclear family whose unspoken secrets are driving a wedge between them. Arriving for a special Sunday dinner at their mother Joy’s (Mindy Cohn) request, siblings Jolene (Melanie Leishman) and Jim (Iain Stewart) bicker about their overbearing parents and secretly hope this is the last one of these for a long while. While Joy struggles to broach the reason she’s brought everyone together for dinner, her husband Jerry (Enrico Colantoni) pleas with her to rip off the band-aid before his brother Frank (Juan Chioran) arrives unannounced to let the cat out of the bag, revealing that Jolene and Jim’s parents aren’t the people their children think they are.

Frank has conned his way back into his brother’s life by blackmailing him and his wife. He’s come to take the house and their entire life savings, which doesn’t sit well with Jolene and Jim, who are counting on an inheritance one day when their parents eventually pass. As the Jennings are given a few hours to collect their things and vacate the premises of their uncle’s new home, all their individual thoughts turn to one surefire way to get rid of Frank for good. But will the family that commits murder together see another Sunday dinner together?

We’ve seen murderous families in the horror space before, but none this worried about the quality of their banana breeze pie. Horror fans are accustomed to following chainsaw-massacring Texans or nuclear-born hill people who kill feverishly and frequently. Families who abandon their moral compasses and kill without reservation—not people like the Jennings. These cookie-cutter suburbanites stuck between a rock and a hard place serve as a metaphoric representation of the evaporating middle class. You know, the penny-pinching Costco family who are a push of raised inflation percentages away from doing something drastic. While the film never gets so dramatically dire, the inference that we’re all teetering on the edge to retain what we have is adamantly felt.

I really have to commend Caden Douglas for creating an exceptionally funny, darkly farcical comedy that’s equally smart and silly. The setup is very reminiscent of devolving sitcom scenarios, especially as neighbors, boyfriends, and police get involved at the Jennings’ house. Adding to that is the fact that it’s mainly a chamber piece, taking place mostly on the main floor of a small house. Plus, Palm Royale star Mindy Cohn’s performance channels Debra Jo Rupp’s Kitty Forman from That ’70s Show, as she overly exudes a bubbly cheerfulness while also embracing her less scrupulous side as the characters grow increasingly honest with each other. Cohn leads a marvelous ensemble cast with effortless, captivating charm, and every character adds something that escalates the hilariousness of Mother Father Sister Brother Frank.

Douglas’ film is a delight for both comedy and horror fans. The film is undoubtedly macabre, but much of it is kept light-hearted in relation to its thematic material. Watching Jerry cheer Jim on as if he’s encouraging his son at his little league game is an innocent and heartfelt moment. Sure, it exists in the aftermath of Frank’s murder as Jim swings an axe to dismember the body. That’s what makes it riotously clever. What’s more to that sentiment, watching this non-violent family become increasingly animated as they try to hide their collective crime and solve the puzzle of getting away with murder is just a hoot.

There’s very little I didn’t like about Mother Father Sister Brother Frank. It’s just an enjoyable film with a lot of heart. I think some budget limitations hinder the film’s creativity, but what it accomplishes is far more sincere. As I said at the start of this article, Mother Father Sister Brother Frank is a great palate cleanser for last month’s onslaught of overly cheery family holiday films. However, I can see this one getting a lot more love around the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons with the snow-covered landscapes and feelings of togetherness. Regardless, Mother Father Sister Brother Frank is a fun romp that’ll provide a hefty amount of laughs.