The Land of Steady Habits

(spoiler free)

‘The Land of Steady Habits’ sees Ben Mendelsohn play Anders Hall, a newly divorced and recently retired father of one. This Netflix Original Film is based on Ted Thompson’s novel of the same name and tells the story of this more unpredictable and sporadic period in Anders’s life. Would this simply be another run of the mill Netflix factory line film though or could the streaming platform break free from its bad habits? 

Things don’t feel particularly good to begin with, even with the story taking place at Christmas, as it’s initially very slow to start. It has an incredibly dull and subdued set up and continues to expose its audience to mundane and boring drama. The opening moments feel like a random selection of poorly edited, unconnected segments of nothingness that don’t ultimately amount to anything. It isn’t until the first burst of comedy arrives that your engagement is truly earned. Thankfully after this comedic refreshment the film continually gains momentum and becomes much more enjoyable. It develops into a very well constructed drama, focusing on several characters, not just Anders, and their relationships. These are worked in skillfully to the grander narrative of the film and provide touching, funny and at times shocking drama.

The talent acquired for this Netflix Original is second to none. Ben Mendelsohn is a fantastic actor, he’s capable of playing so many different styles of character and it’s great to see him centre stage here. He delivers a captivating performance, nailing every aspect of his enigmatic character and as a result keeps the drama moving along nicely. Mendelsohn aside the remaining cast are just as strong. There’s an awesome selection of performers playing a wide array of personalities here which are always brilliantly connected by the writing. The film presents a close-knit group of characters and the cast really bring them to life excellently. A small, already established group like this could have been boring but the substantial writing and efforts of the cast mean that the numerous interactions and altercations between them are always fascinating and often endearing to watch.

Those scrolling through Netflix looking for a laugh out loud hilarious comedy will be disappointed as will those after a trashy drama. Instead ‘The Land of Steady Habits’ should appeal to those who enjoy good writing and compelling performances. The film successfully allocates time, attention and development to the right characters managing to provide a well balanced and engaging drama within its fairly short running time. With pockets of effective humour, strong emotion and involved drama the writing for this Netflix Original comes through in the end after a shaky start. This hopefully points to the start of a more steady habit for Netflix and its Original films.

Written by Hamish Calvert

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Rating – 7/10

Question: What is your favourite Ben Mendelsohn film?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)

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