Atom Egoyan's first feature finds him using the formal and thematic elements he has combined throughout his career: allegory, family bonds, the corruption of desire, and a perverse view of technology. In the midst of a familial trauma, a young man discovers a videotape of a family who gave up a child for adoption. Fleeing his past, he attempts to become that lost son. Next of Kin is a hint of disturbing films to come. ~ Brian Whitener, All Movie Guide