The Joneses (Movie Review)

*Updated April 2026

We all know the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses,” and so does first-time writer and director Darrick Borte, who uses it as the basis for his debut The Joneses. Borte highlights modern society’s materialistic obsessions while postulating how out-of-control marketing campaigns have become. Consumers have become like children, seeing something and immediately wanting it.

Credit card debt is rampant because people cannot restrain their buying impulses. However, despite a brilliantly cynical premise and a delicious start, the film eventually wilts like a lily left out in the noonday heat. Like too many satires that start out with sharp edges, the blade dulls because the filmmakers fail to hone it as the third act approaches.

A desire to be likeable causes The Joneses to fade before eventually imploding. The biggest gaffe is a late-inning sermon delivered by David Duchovny. The problem has less to do with his preaching ability than with the recognition that the message would be better left unsaid.

Is Borte so uncertain of his skill that he has to spell out everything letter by letter? Whatever happened to subtlety?

A Picture-Perfect Facade

At first glance, the Joneses appear to be a perfect family. Father Steve (David Duchovny), mother Kate (Demi Moore), son Mick (Ben Hollingsworth), and daughter Jenn (Amber Heard) seemingly have it all. But since this is a movie, there is no such thing as a “perfect family.”

Despite the beautiful house, expensive furniture, and luxury cars, there are issues in this paradise. This becomes apparent when Jenn tries to slip into Dad’s bed one night. It turns out these four are actually employees of a corporation called LifeImage.

They have been seeded into this neighborhood to show off the good life and get neighbors to buy the products LifeImage represents. The couple next door, Larry (Gary Cole) and Summer (Glenne Headly), fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Larry does not make enough money to finance all the purchases and soon finds himself drowning in debt.

Shifting the Blame to Corporate Greed

I am a little uneasy about the film’s message regarding corporate amorality and greed. Corporations sometimes cross lines in their marketing campaigns, but personal responsibility has to come into it. That is not something the film adequately addresses.

Blaming escalating personal debt on corporate practices is offering a scapegoat for a lack of fiscal restraint. According to The Joneses, when people get in over their heads in debt, it is because of a company’s selling practices. It completely ignores the lack of self-control on the part of consumers who should be watching their bottom line.

These are not high school students caving in to peer pressure. The issue of keeping up with your neighbors is a problem in modern day America. Putting all the blame on the people marketing and selling the products overlooks a major part of the issue.

Sharp Satire Diluted by Clichés

That being said, the manner in which the film begins is smart and savvy. The way it gradually reveals the truth about its protagonists keeps you engaged, and the satire of marketing is on-target more often than not. What is postulated by this film is not far from reality.

Is it that much different to use product placement in movies and television shows than it is to use a real-life variation of the same thing? Borte uses a fair share of such placements in this movie. The most obvious example is for a luxury car I will not name here.

Solid performances from David Duchovny (in a cleaned-up version of his Californication character), Demi Moore, Ben Hollingsworth, and Amber Heard try to anchor the story. They cannot save the movie when the screenplay goes limp and turns into a long string of clichés. It is sad because the movie begins with so much promise.

It has its share of amusing moments. In the end, The Joneses feels like a satire that never blossoms because of a fear of becoming too dark. It is a missed opportunity that will have The Joneses struggling to keep up with its multiplex competition.