Brian (Tyler Richmeier) is preparing to marry his go-go boy lover Chase (Emory Duncan) with his over-enthusiastic mother Mae (Robin S. Roth) and aunt Rose (Nerissa Tedesco) threatening to take over the planning. As the wedding draws nearer, Mae decides to invite Chase’s estranged mother Irene (Ryann Robbins), whose arrival opens old wounds and causes plenty of issues. Irene is determined to stop the wedding at all costs and Chase’s past creates a divide with Brian as they try to keep things on track.
You Should Meet My Son! 2 is the sequel to 2010’s You Should Meet My Son, which was well-received by critics and fans. Written and directed by Keith Hartman, who was behind the original, the film is a continuation of the first but with a completely different cast. At first that is a little distracting, but once you reacquaint yourself with the characters, you barely notice. Tyler Richmeier, one of the stars of the hit web series Steam Room Stories, takes over as Brian and he plays the character perfectly. He balances the comedy aspects with his more straight-laced tendencies, and he’s the one audiences will want to root for.
Opposite him is Emory Duncan as Chase. His performance complements Richmeier’s and he brings a little more grit and swagger to his character. The two form a believable chemistry that runs through the film and some of the best scenes are when they are on screen together. The push and pull between them as the wedding draws nearer is believable and the bumps in the road realistic. Ryann Robbins is a bit of a scene-stealer as Chase’s deeply religious mother Irene. She plays the character as a battle axe and leans into the comedy. It’s a performance that works well and she certainly leaves a lasting impression.
What You Should Meet My Son! 2 does so well is to underpin the film with a serious message about acceptance (both from self and of others) while making you laugh your socks off with a colourful cast of characters. Evan Michael Lee and Andrew Joseph Perez are superb as drag queens Fantasia and Salsa. They put their own spin on the characters from the original and they’ll have you laughing hysterically pretty much every time they’re on screen.
There are a few issues with the film. Robin S. Roth isn’t convincing enough as Mae and she’s the weakest link in the cast. The character gets somewhat side-lined in the film’s second half to concentrate on the excellent Nerissa Tedesco as Rose instead. There is also some repetition of jokes, most obviously when Mae is trying to prevent religious anti-gay campaigners from protesting at her son’s wedding. It over eggs the pudding a little bit but it will, for the most part, still make you chuckle.
You Should Meet My Son! 2 is a light-hearted, breezy comedy that very much captures the spirit of the original. Hartman has knack for sharp dialogue and that’s on display throughout the film’s 76 minutes. He understands how to draw the comedy out of every situation whilst not allowing it to undermine the more serious themes that underlie the narrative. A worthy successor to You Should Meet My Son, this sequel is a sweet and laugh-out-loud watch that will hit the mark with its intended audience.
Cast: Tyler Richmeier, Emory Duncan, Ryann Robbins, Nerissa Tedesco, Robin S. Roth, Tyler Booth, Danto, Evan Michael Lee, Andrew Joseph Perez Director: Keith Hartman Writer: Keith Hartman Certificate: Unrated Duration: 76 mins Released by: Waltzing Penguins Release date: 1st November 2018 Buy You Should Meet My Son! 2
