Review for ‘‘Like Son, Like Father’’ by Mark Bethea

Mark Bethea's Like Son, Like Father brings together major social issues faced by Americans today, tying sensitive topics together in a stylish and heartfelt package that speaks both to the writer/director's experience in the film industry, as well as various walks of life.

This minimalist project takes place in a single location and revolves around a very simple plot: The conflict between father and son in the wake of the son's public coming out as gay during the father's deployment. Drawing from both his experience in the armed forces and his time working in Hollywood, Mark Bethea kicks off his career as director with an emotional yet playful back-and-forth between generations, an ode to the hardships endured by military families and a recognition of thousands of LGBTQI+ individuals forced to live incomplete, hidden lives for decades. Though the dialogue doesn't consistently feel natural, all in all Like Son, Like Father is a sensitive and relatable text.

From a technical standpoint, location, lighting, editing, camerawork and music are all top-notch and work harmoniously to frame the dramatic plot. Bethea's camera is restless, never letting the viewer settle into boredom as it spins around the characters and frames them off-center, communicating the confusion and mixed feelings of our protagonists perfectly and doing a great job to make us empathize with the dizzying experience of familial revelations and generational trauma.

Like Son, Like Father's unexpected twists start with the title and end after a long journey of discovery and empathy between father and son. A much-needed exploration of masculinity, sexuality, paternity, teenage angst and PTSD, Mark Bethea's first foray into directing fills us with anticipation of more high-concept and deep-cutting projects from him.