‘Hal & Harper’ is a dramatic reflection of a family that feels natural

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“Harper & Hal,” debuting this Sunday on Mubi, is a beautifully made and thoughtful series. It focuses solely on people – how they live, connect, and sometimes struggle with each other. The series feels real and relatable, drawing its stories from everyday life rather than relying on typical movie tropes, though these are themes movies often explore.

Similar to this year’s “Adolescence,” the series proves that even in a crowded entertainment landscape, original and compelling work is still possible. Created by 28-year-old Cooper Raiff—who wrote, directed, and starred in the independent films “Shithouse” and “Cha Cha Real Smooth”—it blends realistic moments with artistic flair, showing a knack for innovation.

The series features a small core group of characters across its eight episodes. Lili Reinhart plays Harper, whose father is portrayed by Mark Ruffalo (credited simply as “Dad”). Harper’s brother is Hal, played by Raiff. Alyah Chanelle Scott stars as Jesse, Harper’s girlfriend, and Havana Rose Liu is Abby, Hal’s girlfriend. Betty Gilpin plays Kate, Dad’s partner. Rounding out the group are Audrey (Addison Timlin), a divorced mother of two who works with Harper, and Kalen (Christopher Meyer), Hal’s roommate.

Television

Cooper Raiff’s film, ‘Hal & Harper,’ had a complex journey to release, but it will finally be available to stream on Mubi starting this Sunday. It first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year.

The show features flashbacks where Reinhart and Raiff play younger versions of themselves, similar to the style of “Pen15,” but with a more subtle approach to humor. Raiff is particularly funny as young Hal, though the show doesn’t label him as overly energetic. This isn’t just a stylistic trick; it’s a smart way to tell the story—much like the single-take format of “Adolescence” felt perfectly suited to its subject matter. It highlights how childhood experiences shape who we become as adults, and allows for a more nuanced performance than you’d typically get from child actors. (Even incredibly talented ones.) Importantly, this technique creates a strong connection between the characters across different time periods.

Several things happen at once to set the story in motion. The house where Hal and Harper spent their childhood—which their depressed father can’t bear to part with—is being sold. Hal and Harper are living in Los Angeles, while their father and Kate are elsewhere. Kate is pregnant, and they’ve learned there’s a possibility the baby will have Down syndrome, prompting their father to think about how he could have been a more involved parent. Meanwhile, Jesse receives a job offer in Texas and wants Harper to join her. Hal, a college senior unsure of his future but who enjoys drawing, ends his relationship with Abby after realizing they hadn’t been officially dating until she expressed wanting to become exclusive. And Harper finds herself drawn to Audrey.

Hal and Harper share a uniquely strong bond because they both lost their mother, and their father has never fully dealt with the grief. Harper often feels responsible for taking care of her brother, even though he’s an adult and sometimes just needs comfort. This has also made it difficult for Harper to heal and move forward with her own life. The two of them are currently staying on an island together.

“Are we friends?” young Hal asks Harper.

“We’re brother and sister,” she replies.

“Not friends.”

“I guess we can be friends, too.”

Movies

I was really impressed with Apple’s ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ – it’s a fantastic launching pad for both Cooper Raiff, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film at just 25, and the incredibly talented Vanessa Burghardt, who’s only 18! It feels like we’re seeing the start of something special with both of them.

The show avoids lengthy explanations through dialogue. Characters don’t make speeches; instead, quiet moments invite viewers to connect with their emotions and reflect on their own experiences. It’s a technique those who’ve been watching TV for a while will recognize. The actors, particularly Reinhart and Gilpin, powerfully convey emotion with subtle expressions, rather than relying on lengthy monologues – which often feel unnatural. (Many writers and actors enjoy monologues, but they rarely feel realistic.)

The story feels natural and flowing, but it’s carefully built around the timeline of Kate’s pregnancy. It’s full of repeating ideas and mirrored moments – for example, the song “I Will Survive” appears both as a karaoke performance and in a childhood memory, and young Harper is shown reading a complex novel. She explains the story’s core theme to Hal: it’s about a lonely family that becomes even more isolated and unhappy, but hints at a possible positive turn. (She’s frequently seen reading.) The film’s editing creates a dynamic pace, switching between short and long scenes, and using montages to show memories. Like the director avoids over-explaining things, he also cuts directly from scene to scene without much transition. It’s a quick pace, but you’ll easily follow along.

I briefly worried that Raiff was heading towards a predictable, unhappy ending, but it turned out my concerns were unfounded.

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2025-10-19 13:31