In 1995, a small independent film called “The Brothers McMullen,” written, directed, and produced by actor Edward Burns, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and was eventually acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures. 30 years later, a sequel launched called “The Family McMullen,” and it has absolutely exploded on HBO Max streaming. FlixPatrol has it currently listed at spot number three for top-streamed movies during the week of December 12, and while the month’s tally is still ongoing, it’s also currently at the number four spot for December. Following the same idea as its predecessor, “The Family McMullen” explores the lives of each of the McMullen family, including Barry, Patrick, and Molly, the widow of their third brother, Jack. It’s Thanksgiving for the family, and Barry’s kids are there, too.
If you’ve seen the original, you understand there are both more dramatic events and subtle romantic comedy trimmings. It’s about three Irish Catholic brothers from Long Island, after all. This time around, the beats are more comedic, but the romantic stuff is there. That does the movie no justice; of course, it’s really about navigating the ups and downs of life and rolling with the punches. It’s a must-watch movie, as per viewers, but that could also be because they’ve been waiting 30 years for the sequel. There are no Rotten Tomatoes reviews yet, since it’s still too early. IMDB has it listed as a 5.9 out of 10 with over 500 reviews. It will be interesting to see what critics say, but there are movies that the critics have gotten wrong before. The user reviews might tell the true story.
Why did it take so long to make?
Three decades is a long time; why did it take so long for Edward Burns to make the sequel? Especially when principal photography began in April 2025, and it’s already streaming in December 2025 — with a one-night theater release in October. Production was able to move fast, likely because it’s an independent film, but that’s also a potential reason why it took so long. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Burns mentions having trouble writing the story and script for the sequel. “I started to write for the 20th anniversary, and I just really couldn’t crack it.” But five years later, he came up with an idea and started the process. He hadn’t even started when he began asking his co-actors to join the cast.
Despite taking so long, and judging by the ratings, people really seem taken with the film. That could also be because they’ve been waiting for some updates on the McMullen family. It’s burning through the top charts, at least for the month of December. Many movies are finding a second life in streaming, although “The Family McMullen” was clearly meant to be watched outside of theaters, it only had a one-night debut. For example, the Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal thriller “Eddington” is seeing streaming popularity on HBO Max, too. Similarly, the 2025 Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts-led “After the Hunt” absolutely bombed at the box office, but is finding an audience on Prime Video.
