Brief History of a Family

Brief History of a Family (Chinese: 家庭简史), is a 2024 mystery thriller film written and directed by Lin Jianjie in his feature directorial debut.

[2] Wei, an outgoing young man and the only son of a prosperous Chinese family, shares an unexpected bond with Shuo, his quiet and observant classmate, after an incident at their high school.

[19] Elena Lazic of Cineuropa reviewing the film at Sundance Film Festival praised the director writing, "the debut feature from Chinese director Lin Jianjie, skillfully builds up suspense and a fascinating, morbid intensity by showing in minute detail how easy it can be to let societal demands for excellence threaten even the most sacred bonds."

Concluding her review Lazic wrote, "An assured debut displaying a fantastic control of craft and a remarkably nuanced understanding of human psychology, the film dares to expose the serious strain that social and economic expectations put on a structure once meant to be a haven of love and support.

"[20] James Mottram of South China Morning Post rated the film 3.5/5 and wrote, "There are moments of real subtlety sewn into the fabric.

"[21] Carlos Aguilar, reviewing at the Sundance Film Festival for Variety, wrote, "Elevated by its consistent visual inventiveness... the closer we observe, the more it reveals itself as a tale of wish fulfillment for everyone involved.

Berra opined thar the "ambiguity is maintained through a finely modulated quartet of performances which are in-synch with the film’s technical elements."