If you are looking for a family-friendly movie to watch this long Easter weekend, look no further than “Meet the Khumalos”.
Produced and directed by Jayan Moodley, it has all the rib-tickling hallmarks of a dysfunctional family (or families, in this case). And it’s got a stellar cast to boot with Khanyi Mbau, Ayanda Borotho, Bonga Dlamini, Jesse Suntele, the late Connie Chiume, Siyabonga Shibe, Khosi Ngema and Alizwa Sikhafungana.
Moodley earned her stripes as a filmmaker with “The Kandasamys” franchise, which has proven to be a hit with South African audiences.
She gave us “Keeping Up with the Kandasamys” in 2017, “Kandasamys: The Wedding” in 2019, “Trippin' with the Kandasamys” in 2021 and “Kandamys: The Baby” in 2024.
Now she’s back in a familiar playground, unpacking a different cultural scenario that’s universally relatable.
Set in Durban, this tale centres on two families living in a luxury gated community.
On the one hand, there’s Grace Khumalo (Mbau). Married to Vusi (Dlamini), she is the epitome of snobbishness. As someone who takes great pride in how she looks, she subjects her husband to a rigorous healthy diet as well.
Her pride and joy is her son Sizwe (Suntele).
Meanwhile, Mavis (Chiume), her mother-in-law, peddles traditional beauty products as a side hustle to the community, which clashes with her image-conscious daughter-in-law's sensibilities.
However, as the queen bee in the body corporate WhatsApp group, she's too busy trying to impress the Sithole family moving in.
Her excitement quickly turns to anger when she realises that Bongi (Borotho) is her new neighbour. The businesswoman from KwaMashu is happily married to Desmond (Shibe) and they have two lovely teenage daughters, Sphe (Ngema) and Lu (Sikhafungana).
Battle lines are drawn after their first meeting, and it is taken to another level when they grudgingly team up to keep Sizwe and Sphe apart after learning that they are romantically involved.
When it comes to personalities, Grace and Bongi are poles apart. Grace is very firm in her beliefs, style and eating habits, while Bongi is more easygoing, especially when it comes to her diet.
However, their well-intentioned attempts to tear their kids apart backfire on them. But it isn’t before a few hilarious shenanigans, which include mimicking animal noises and foisting romantic distractions on their children.
Along the way, lessons are learned as the two former friends bury the hatchet in the build-up to Sphe’s coming-of-age umemulo ceremony.
“Meet the Khumalos” is an enjoyable homegrown offering. The script is wonderfully penned to ensure the drama is offset by plenty of side-splitting moments like Mavis’s massager at church.
Hats off to the cast for playing their roles with such finesse. The chemistry was unmistakable and, fingers crossed, I’m hoping that, like “The Kandasamys”, the film will be returning for several sequels.
Of course, comparisons are to be expected with Moodley veering into a different cultural scenario. But she pulls it off with aplomb, throwing a few signature comedic scenarios into the mix.
Overall, it’s a heart-warming movie with a top-notch cast delivering comedy gold.
Rating: 3/5 - solid and enjoyable, though not groundbreaking.
Below are recommendations for similar films:
"Lobola Man"
Think of this as the SA version of “Hitch” with Will Smith. In this Netflix romcom, Ace Ngubeni (Lawrence Maleka) is the lobola whisperer. A non-committal bachelor, he works his magic in negotiating bride prices. However, when he agrees to help Duke (Sandile Mahlangu), a shy tech CEO, with his upcoming marriage to Zandile (Kwanele Mthethwa), he finds himself biting off more than he can chew.
Not just that, he is forced to confront his past and struggles with relationships.
"Disaster Holiday"
Another star-studded Netflix offering centred on a dad who, to keep his advertising job and secure a promotion, changes their planned Zanzibar family vacation plans to a Durban road trip. In doing so, he incurs the wrath of his ex-wife, frustrated kids and new wife.
It’s a wholesome comedy with Kenneth Nkosi as the lead alongside Tina Jaxa, Wayne Van Rooyen and Lunathi Mampofu.