Wry and evocative, writer/director Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother is a deceptively simple triptych of stories that explores uneasy family dynamics. Fine work from big-name stars—Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, and Cate Blanchett—may be the draw here, but slice-of-life moments make the work ultimately gratifying. With a career spanning more than 45 years, Jarmusch knows how to locate the essence of a character through the accumulation of small details.

The first section, “Father,” follows middle-aged siblings as they visit their old codger of a father in his shabby rural New Jersey home. The second story, “Mother,” features two grown sisters with opposite personalities who attend an annual tea hosted by their controlling mother in Dublin. The final chapter, “Sister Brother,” focuses on adult fraternal twins who reunite in Paris to say goodbye to the apartment of their recently deceased parents.

It opens with Driver, as Jeff, and Mayim Bialik, as Emily, on a dull drive to the home of their father (Tom Waits). On the road, skateboarders whiz by in one of several motifs that occur throughout the stories, perhaps reminding viewers that life rolls on while complicated families are stuck in their pasts.

Jarmusch found early inspiration in the pairing of Waits and Driver as father and son, a felicitous match made across time in the director’s oeuvre. Waits performed in one of the director’s early films, Down by Law, and others, including the omnibus Coffee and Cigarettes. Driver appeared in his last two features, Paterson and The Dead Don’t Die.

Side by side in the front seat, the siblings’ similar nerdy glasses and jackets hint at traditional, comfortable lives. They question how Father gets by, especially if he doesn’t receive Social Security. On the way to the house, Jeff mentions to Emily that he helps their dad out financially with critical matters, such as a septic system disaster. (They’re incredulous that he still uses a landline.)

They politely greet Father, who sports an old hoodie, and look around at his messy, dated household. (Surprisingly, his bookshelves are filled with intellectual fare by the likes of Noam Chomsky and Wilhelm Reich.) When a Rolex peeks out from under the septuagenarian’s sleeve, he says it’s a fake and covers it up. In a perfunctory, strained conversation that exposes an awkward history, he asks about Jeff’s work and Emily’s kids. Before the siblings depart, Jeff leaves behind a box of upscale groceries, and then dad refuses—at first—the money Jeff plants in his hand “to tide you over” as he leaves. What happens next is a hilarious turn of events that highlights ignorance between the generations.

The second section exhibits another uncomfortable gathering. With a pink coat that matches her pink hair (and a Rolex that may or may not be a knock-off), free-spirited Lilith (Vicky Krieps) arrives for the afternoon tea driven by her black-clad girlfriend, who’s pretending to be an Uber driver in a ruse to hide their relationship from mum. This once-a-year event keeps the family get-togethers at a predictable minimum. The traditional timing and attendant rituals of a tea service constrain the interactions of the women in a way that befits the emotionally reserved Mother (Rampling).

Shot from above, the table setting is an Instagram-worthy sight, with pretty floral china and delicate pastries. A bouquet of flowers obscures the view across the table until it’s moved so the trio can actually see each other. (Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux shot in Europe, and Jarmusch’s regular collaborator, Frederick Elmes, handled the U.S. segments.)

In their mother’s presence, the sisters jockey for favor, boast, and exaggerate in lieu of saying anything too personal. A staid Timothea (Blanchett), in modest clothes and a bland, frumpy hairstyle, was promoted in her role on the board of a historical council. Lilith claims she has many new clients at her cryptic job. Meanwhile, their mother, a successful best-selling romance novelist, keeps updates about her new books to herself. After a pregnant silence, Timothea requests, formally, “May I be excused?” as she probably did as a child. She escapes to the toilet to ease the pretense of harmony.

Tension lets up in the third section, with no father or mother present. The mixed-race siblings appear artsy—Skye (Indya Moore) is bejeweled and Billy (Luka Sabbat) sports long braids (and wears a Rolex). Skye moved to New York and Billy still lives in Paris. Despite having chosen different paths, they’re emotionally close and claim “twin factor!” to explain similarities and synchronous experiences, such as microdosing psilocybin.

The siblings drive to the apartment of their unconventional parents, who died recently in a plane crash. Billy has cleared it out, but there are still items left to consider. They reminisce as they examine drawings they made and old photographs. Among the effects is important paperwork. A forged document reveals a long-held secret about their parents, more puzzling than shocking. Unlike the previous two families, this one enjoys closeness and love, despite unspoken truths.

Viewed as a piece, the three bittersweet tales of shifting identities speak to how individuals adapt to maintain enduring family bonds in an ultimately poignant, subtle work.