Some families you are born into, and some you choose. In filmmaking, this “found family” trope has served as the basis for tons of great movies, from “Shoplifters” to “The Holdovers,” “Paddington” and more. But it’s used to especially heartwarming effect in “Housekeeping for Beginners,” an energetic North Macedonian drama from writer-director Goran Stolevski (“You Won’t Be Alone,” “Of an Age”).
The film debuted at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Queer Lion award, but I saw it when it was finally released in the U.S. last spring. It centers on the unconventional and often chaotic family that forms after one parent is diagnosed with cancer, and despite that sad premise ended up being one of my favorite movies of the year. The movie could quickly slide into melodrama, but Stolevski crafts the film with a skilled hand, offering up an intimate portrait of a ramshackle clan struggling to come together as a unit.
Need more convincing? Here’s why you need to stream “Housekeeping for Beginners” right now on Peacock.
What is “Housekeeping for Beginners” about?
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Stolevski’s “Housekeepers for Beginners” brings the Macedonian-Australian filmmaker back to his birthplace, Skopje. It centers on a woman named Dita (Anamaria Marinca) who has never aspired to be a mother. But when her girlfriend Suada (Alina Serban) heartbreakingly receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, Dita suddenly becomes responsible for raising Sauda’s two daughters — tiny troublemaker Mia and rebellious teen Vanesa.
The delightfully unkept but meticulously paced drama closely follows these newfound kin — made up of not only Dita and the girls, but also Dita’s gay best friend Toni (Vladimir Tintor) and a revolving door of queer youths looking for a safe-space to call home — as they navigate the grief of the diagnosis and the complexities of being a multi-ethnic, LGBTQ-friendly found family.
Why should you stream ‘Housekeeping for Beginners’ on Peacock?
While I clearly loved the movie, don’t just take it from me that this found-family film is a must-watch. “Applying a fresh coat of paint on a chosen family story, Housekeeping for Beginners makes for a cozy, uplifting watch,” reads the film’s critical consensus over on Rotten Tomatoes, where the title has an impressive 94% approval rating.
I loved that, while undoubtedly triumphant in tone, this drama managed to sidestep any of the schlocky sentimentality of many other family-focused films, thanks to Stolevski’s lively yet controlled directing and the naturalistic performances by the movie’s merry band of actors.
Again, don’t just take it from me. “Each scrap and squabble and occasional flash of understanding between them activates the film anew, so no interpersonal dynamic here ever feels comfortably settled,” Guy Lodge wrote for Variety in his review. This is “a home founded entirely on the margins, allyship and solitary self-protection battle each other to a bloody draw.”
“Housekeepers for Beginners” is an incredible portrait of a household, likely very different from your own. But it’s a found family you’ll be happy to spend 107 minutes with, so go stream it right now.
Watch “Housekeepers for Beginners” on Peacock now
