Louder than Bombs, the first English language film directed by Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier, is the type of film that makes you want to run home and hug every single member of your family, and never let go ever again. Those who watch take an emotional roller coaster ride as the characters mourn, mess up, and pretend to process their feelings with and about one another. The story is told from the perspectives of a father, Gene (Gabriel Byrne), and his two sons, Conrad (Devin Druid) and Jonah (Jesse Eisenberg), who are all attempting to live in a world following the death of their wife and mother, famed war photographer Isabelle Reed (Isabelle Huppert). This is a story that could very easily fall into cliché; it is not the first time a movie has been made describing a family dealing with the repercussions of the death of a loved one. However, Louder than Bombs deftly avoids all tropes and expectations its plot could entail, through outstanding filmmaking choices and stellar performances from the entire cast.

What sets this film apart in terms of filmmaking is the fact that the focus is not on the big picture, but on separate moments in each character's lives. There are few scenes in which Conrad, Gene, and Jesse truly discuss the main conflict of Isabelle's death, yet this remains the constant recurring theme due to the detail oriented approach Trier took. Audiences are exposed to tidbits of information that gain them access to the thoughts of each character. For example, Conrad's crush on the girl in his English class is revealed at the same time that it becomes known that he keeps thinking he sees women wearing his mother's donated clothing, and that he wants to hug them because it would be like hugging his mother, or his discovery of an article written about his mother's death while shopping at a gas station. The lack of sharp contrast and distinct transitions between these small, "normal" moments and these crucial, heart-wrenching to watch moments, make the entire film much more poignant and effective, as it showcases the way real life works, where big occurrences happen with no warning, falling along in place with the smaller ones.

Every role in the movie was acted brilliantly. Eisenberg masterfully adds the perfect amount of sarcasm to the melancholy role of Jonah, keeping him likeable while also maintaining the character's deep-seated flaws. Byrne showcases an incredible range of emotional expression, going from comedy-fueled scenes about his attempts to connect with his son to forlorn ones that focus on the troubles of his marriage, and Reed is impressive as well. Despite being in the film much less than the others, she creates undeniable chemistry with each of her costars, and expertly portrays a mother who is absent but wanting to feel needed. The true showstopper of the Louder than Bombs, however, is Devin Druid. His depiction of Conrad is phenomenal; there is no better word for it. He can say more in a single stare than most could say in a monologue. The actor possesses a rare talent; the role of a teenager struggling to feel normal when everything around him is far from it is one of the hardest to play, and Druid is stellar.

Louder than Bombs is a film that delivers, managing to balance melancholy overtones with gritty humorous undertones, while continuing to surprise the audience. The cast perfectly plays out Trier's vision, and it will resonate with audiences long after the credits roll.