Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron in A Family Affair. Aaron Epstein/Netflix

In Hollywood, the industrys very particular rules of math state that two attractive movie stars should result in at least a semblance of onscreen chemistry. Its worked for all kinds of bizarre pairings, and it should have worked for Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, teaming up in A Family Affair for the second time. Kidman is a skilled actor with incredible range and a willingness to take risks on potentially bad projects, and Efron is chiseled, talented and always game for ridiculous comedic scenes centered on self-ridicule. Although separately magnetic and successful in 2012s The Paperboy, together here the actors fumble for any draw.

A FAMILY AFFAIR 1/2(1.5/4 stars) Directed by: Richard LaGravenese Written by: Carrie Solomon Starring: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King, Kathy Bates, Liza Koshy, Wes Jetton, Sherry Cola Running time: 114 mins.

In the film, Efron parodies himself as Chris Cole, a self-absorbed, muscled movie star best known for starring in an action franchise called Icarus Rush. Hes vain, disconnected and apparently hasnt been in a grocery store in decades. He is constantly breaking up with girlfriends with the help of consolation diamond earrings and his assistant Zara (Joey King), a frazzled young woman who wants to be producing movies despite being in her early 20s and having no experience. Chris is so temperamental and childish that he vacillated between threatening to fire Zara and desperately needing her to get him protein powder from the grocery store he cant visit himself.

Zara finally hits her limit with Chris inane antics and quits, reluctantly telling her highly successful writer of a mom Brooke (Kidman) that shes now out of a job. Brooke has been single since the death of Zaras dad, often confiding her woes in her mother-in-law Leila (Kathy Bates), who appears to be some kind of famous photographer. When Chris shows up at Brooke and Zaras house trying to woo Zara back to work, he ends up bondingand drinking tequilawith Brooke. Its an odd dynamic, especially since screenwriter Carrie Solomon and director Richard Lagravenese have already established Chris as a selfish dipshit. Its hard to understand what Brooke, who quotes Greek mythology and is potentially the hottest MILF on planet Earth, sees in him beyond his biceps. But whatever it is, its enough to get them into bed, where Zara immediately discovers them and knocks herself out on the doorway.

The rest of the film is a requisite story about redeeming oneself and making relationships work. You already know the ending without having seen it, although its a moderately entertaining diversion to get there. Brooke gets her groove back (this makes for a good double feature with Anne Hathaways recent rom-com The Idea of You), Chris gets to make a human connection (and go to a grocery store) and Zara gets to skip years of paying her dues to unrealistically ascend the Hollywood ladder. It aims for emotional sincerity in moments and there are some laughs, thanks mostly to King and Efrons dynamic, but its mostly a surface-level fantasy about two successful, pretty people who find love. The hurdle in their way isnt the massive age gap or Chris unwieldy celebrity, but Zaras disapproval and whining. Its all a bit flimsy on paper, although its easier to overlook the gaping cracks in the narrative when youre actually watching Kidman do her thing.

The challenge here is that Kidman and Efron have no spark, which makes it awkward and uncomfortable to witness their coupling. No wonder Zara feels so much ick at the prospect of Brooke and Chris getting together. Its also difficult to reconcile Chriss terrible behavior with him becoming a leading man love interest for a woman as smart and worldly as Brooke. But this is a fantasy where everyone gets what they want, even if that in no way aligns with reality. It worked in The Idea of You, a better version of this story, but here you just want Brooke to find a guy who doesnt need the Icarus myth explained to him. Its ultimately this lack of chemistry that keeps A Family Affair from transcending an existence as a Lifetime movie aired on Netflix.

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'A Family Affair' Review: Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron Have Zero Sparks - Observer