Simi – a self-conscious, overweight teenager – spends Easter weekend at her nutritionist aunt’s home. The family reunion quickly turns into a nightmare: Simi is forced to go on a very strict diet, her cousin starts acting openly hostile towards her and her uncle is strangely affectionate.
Peter Hengl studied under Michael Haneke at film school, and the influence shows: Family Dinner is a domestic drama as gripping as it is disturbing. By delving into the insecurities of an ill-at-ease teenager and the troubles of a dysfunctional family, he masterfully builds up an oppressive aura of tension and unease that permeates the entire film.