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Complacent

Complacent

It's A Very Comfortable Place To Live...

2012104 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Director
Steven R. Monroe
Starring
Cerina Vincent, Kerri Green, Joey Kern, Keir O'Donnell

Two close sisters, Myah and Beth, struggle with their differences in life and in the older sister's mentally abusive marriage, until the complacent lives of Beth and their married friends are shaken to the core by a tragedy that they are all forced to face.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Complacent?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Complacent to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Complacent?

Complacent earns 1 badge: Hidden Gem.

Reception

Is Complacent worth watching?

Complacent's Midcredits score is the 86th percentile of all films, from 262 ratings across 3 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

86th percentile

Better received than 86% of films

88th percentile among Drama86th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)83rd
Approval (how many liked it)85th

71 /100

83rd percentile of all films

86th percentile among Drama83rd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

75% liked it

85th percentile of all films

86th percentile among Drama85th percentile among 2010s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

28th percentile

262 ratings across platforms

29th percentile among Drama33rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 41% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$500K

What reviewers say

Common ground

A low-budget indie drama about strained family relationships that relies heavily on strong acting to overcome its formulaic story.

Fans praised

  • surprisingly engrossing family drama
  • excellent lead performances from Kerri Green and Cerina Vincent
  • raw, emotionally resonant conversations

Detractors panned

  • cliché script and wooden dialogue
  • amateurish cinematography and jarring editing
  • poor character writing makes it hard to care

What stands out

ActingDivisive80

praised Kerri Green's subtle, Oscar-worthy turn; detractors found Cerina Vincent miscast in lead

Emotional impactDivisive65

tear-jerking for some; others found it unearned

Plot and storyDivisive45

familiar family-dysfunction trajectory with predictable reveals

DialogueDivisive45

some raw, natural exchanges; detractors called it cliché

CharactersDivisive40

derivative archetypes; fans found them relatable

Pacing40

long silent montages; late-breaking third-act climax

Cinematography30

shaky indie look described as amateurish video

Originality25

compared unfavorably to Revolutionary Road and Magnolia

Watch experience

What is Complacent like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicTenseElegiac
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with earnest seriousness, aiming for raw emotional truth without irony.
The rideThe film sustains a low-level dread and dissatisfaction, punctuated by dramatic confrontations, with the emotional weight concentrating in the final act's revelations and consequences.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional chronological order, marked by dinner gatherings that act as chapters.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering mix of sadness and hope, staying with you after the credits.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% (this title) · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Liberation: Breaking free of a confining life (Room).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeMyah's decision to break free from her abusive marriage and suburban complacency sets off a chain of events that awakens those around her, fitting the liberation subtype of rebirth.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsFamily bondsIsolation · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the search for meaning and fulfillment against the backdrop of suburban complacency, focusing on individuals and couples struggling with unfulfilled desires and the ties that bind them.
StanceThe film questions whether a life of suburban complacency is sustainable, examining its cost on individuals and marriages without offering easy answers.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalAmbientSupportive music · original score · Corey Allen Jackson
SettingA contemporary American suburb of cookie-cutter homes and manicured lawns.
MusicThe score uses a recurring sentimental piano motif during emotional moments, which some viewers found repetitive.

Cast and crew

Who is in Complacent?

Cast

Cerina Vincent
as Myah Sanderson
Kerri Green
as Beth Wilkensen
Joey Kern
as Robert Wilkensen
Keir O'Donnell
as Thomas Pulchek
Elisa Donovan
as Jennifer Pulchek
Michael Worth
as Eugene York
Christopher Showerman
as Jason Haney
Melanie Monroe
as Morgan Haney
Adrienne Barbeau
as Judy Sanderson
Jan Munroe
as Dick Sanderson

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Complacent?

Movies like Complacent include You Can Count on Me (2000), Love Streams (1984) and Sunshine Cleaning (2008). Of the 6 closest matches, most are stories about siblings, and all are films set in a single location.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 6 share its story type: chamber drama. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Complacent?

3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: chamber drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.