NME After Print - REVIEW: You People
WARNING: Netflix’s “You People” will be a challenge to watch!
This movie has a slow, painful, dragging start and middle. You would think a movie with an all-star, diverse cast would have a great look at race relations, but, at times, the conversations and situations felt focused, ridiculed, and embarrassing. You will find yourself wanting to laugh, but feeling wrong about it, or disgusted a joke was even made.
But, I think that’s the point.
"You People" is the story of finding love where you least expect it, and those who society, including your family, don't understand how. Jonah Hill plays Ezra, the hip-hop-loving, trend-sneaker-buying Jewish guy with a podcast discussing "the culture." He is also longing to find that special someone - a woman who gets him. In comes Amira, played by Lauren London, the fashionable, proud Black woman who catches Ezra's eye after the two experience an awkward meet-cute in a Uber mix-up. A nervous date turns into a six-month romance, leading to thoughts of marriage. But before that can happen, the families must meet. Eddie Murphy and Nia Long are Amira's parents, two proud Black Muslims that are not excited about their daughter marrying a white Jewish boy. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Duchovny play the "woke" side as Ezra's parents - fascinated by their soon-to-be daughter-in-law, often asking inappropriate questions. These moments lead to some of the uncomfortable moments of the film - plus lots of mentions of Xhibit.
This movie showed all different levels of the “black/white conversation”, while also touching on gender and sexual-orientation as well. It’s painful, frustrating, and sometimes, ends in a parting of ways. It’s not supposed to be easy! The first hour of this film represented that. I found myself falling asleep at one point, just struggling to push through it. But when everything was said and done, the film focused on what it should have, well, at least in my opinion - two individuals who found love, knowing their differences and embraced them, along with their similarities. What I would like real race relations to be. But like Mo, played by Sam Jay, says, “For black people in this country, white dudes are the cheater and we’re the chick who can’t move on.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️
You People is streaming on Netflix now. - Teresa Robinson