You know how I said one of my favorite ways to quiet the noise of life is to watch and discuss movies and TV series? Well, it’s time. There’s a star-studded film that was just recently released on Netflix that had been anticipated since the 1st teaser dropped in December (2022). Yup, you’ve guessed it. I’m talking about, You People! (Act surprised, I know it’s in the title LOL)
Now, remember I’m not only a movie lover, but I have a degree in TV & Film. So I usually have a lot to say. I’ll break my reviews up into what I enjoy and what I would change in the movie if I was the writer. Let’s get started on my first one.
You People, is a rom-com film that explores what it can look like when two people from completely different worlds, fall in love. The two worlds in this case involve a black Muslim woman, played by Lauren London, and a white Jewish man, played by Jonah Hill.
Initial Reaction
When I first saw the teaser, I admit I was equally intrigued and hesitant to watch. Lauren London and Jonah Hill playing love interests? That’s just something I never saw coming. However, as someone who has watched previous movies they’ve both played in separately, I knew I had to tune in.
What I Enjoyed
One of the main motivations for me to watch the movie was the fact that Lauren London was one of the main characters. If you do not know, Lauren London has only played in a couple of movies here and there in the past few years. And rightfully so, as she has been learning a new normal for herself and her family since 2019. She also starred in films such as Always & 4Ever (2020) and Without Remorse (2021). But the energy around You People seemed different to me. The role she played was more light, airy, and fun versus the roles she played in previous movies. So I did enjoy seeing her back on my screen after some time.
Another pro for me was that there were some actually really funny moments in the movie. A lot of time, comedy movies fall flat when it comes to comedy. I usually enjoy films of other genres that just so happen to have comedic relief. Usually feels more natural.
But scenes like when Amira first met Ezra’s mom and dad for the first time were hilarious. When Ezra’s mom, Shelley, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, tried to uncomfortably relate to Amira and what it meant to be black, had me cackling. Because why did she think it was appropriate to start ranting about black issues when she just met Amira? That is not only uncomfortable but extremely random as well. THEN, Ezra’s dad, Arnold, played by David Duchovny, had the audacity to start singing Ordinary People?! In reality, If I were in that situation, I would’ve been on the floor… crying… from laughter. Because be for real!
I also enjoyed the car scenes. Between Amira’s father, Akbar, played by Eddie Murphy, grilling Ezra about the name of the song playing and Shelley singing to Amira, they did a great job.
What I Would Have Changed
I’ll start off by saying, Howard University is not the black Harvard. It is THEE Howard University. That’s it, that’s all. The institution does not need a co-sign or comparison to or from a white counterpart under any circumstance. The name holds weight by itself. I know many of my fellow bison were also thrown off by that line. Flag on the play for that one.
Also, I do believe that the continuity of the movie could have been a little smoother. There were random scenes that just did not add anything to the plot. For example, Amira’s mother, Fatima, played by Nia Long, character development did not make much sense to me. At first, she was stern and very standoffish with Ezra’s family. But the moment she sees Amira visibly upset at Shelley, she asks Shelley if she is okay too. Now, this could just be me, but I think it would have been more authentic of her character to see that her daughter is upset, realize she’s upset with Shelley, (who she already does not care for), and immediately go after her daughter to see what was going on. She never showed that she had any empathy for Ezra’s parents the entire movie, so that line seemed out of place.
I think they could have gone without the entire wedding planner scene as well. It was okay, but the scene did not add much to the plot and it wasn’t that funny (to me). I would have replaced it with footage of both mothers and Amira spending time together so that the heated scene between Amira and Shelley could come off more genuine when Fatima came along.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I give the overall scoring of the movie a 6. It was not bad, but in my opinion, there was some missed opportunity for character development and comedy. Lastly, put some respect on Howard University’s name!
What did you guys think about the movie?
