"The Family" tells of the Warren family - mother (Joan Allen), father (Rupert Graves), three children, two boys (Zach Gilford and Liam James) and and one girl (Alison Pill) - struck ten years ago by an unpredictable tragedy: the disappearance of Adam (Liam James), the youngest son. Today, a decade later, when the rest of the family have somehow managed to get by, Adam reappears, escaping to a mysterious jailer who has been holding him captive all this time. His return is obviously a source of deep joy, but the wounds and scars of his family members cannot heal overnight, even after such great relief.