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Clarice shrouded in mystery and intrigue with diverse cultural representations < Back Clarice shrouded in mystery and intrigue with diverse cultural representations Secret Hideout, 2021- 60 minutes Creator: Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Clarice Miles Away (CFUTYOYA5NRV01VN) 00:00 / 04:40 Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Matcha Mysteries or whodunnits Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 A television series spinoff of the 1991 film, Silence of the Lambs , Clarice features very smart but green FBI agent, Clarice Starling. While the crimes are gruesome, the series does not present a likeness of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (at least not yet), so no need to prepare for the show with a glass of Chianti. In each week of season 1, the series unveils a piece of the evolving story, which contains multiple creepy antagonists steeped in a diabolical murder conspiracy. Despite the challenges of the case, Clarice continues to be haunted by her confrontation with Buffalo Bill, the pathological villain from the movie. Like her namesake in the film, played by Jodie Foster, Clarice has a naïve fearlessness about her that makes her very good at her job. Supporting her naivete is the character’s roots in Appalachia, which her mild southern drawl triggers with each line of her dialog. As the show reveals, this makes Clarice uniquely qualified for cases in rural geographies. And her naiveté helps her sustain a level of humility that keeps her engaged in investigations with a child-like curiosity. Played by Rebecca Breeds ( The Originals , Pretty Little Liars ), Agent Starling has a special ability in profiling offenders of gruesome crimes, and once they are pinpointed, tapping into her own instincts to solve them. Consistent with the types of crimes her team investigates, the aesthetics of the show are dark. In fact, the scenes often occur in the dimly lit halls of its east coast FBI headquarters, or at night in wet and sometimes muddy conditions. The homes and buildings they visit are designed of old architecture with dark-brown, spacious interiors and a bottom-up vantage point of long, straight staircases—all adding to the frightening nature of the show’s subject matter. Clarice’s roommate and best friend is Ardelia Mapp, a Black woman and FBI agent, played by Devyn A. Tyler ( The Underground Railroad , Antebellum ). Despite graduating from Quantico with top marks, she researches cold cases in isolation rather than investigating active cases with fieldwork, a prized part of the job. Mapp’s frustration with her job assignment is revealed during a conversation with Starling in which she excoriates the FBI for denying her opportunity while Starling’s gets dropped into her lap. Starling empathizes, even sympathizes with her friend but is at a loss for what to say or do. “The work,” Mapp responds in exasperation. The poignant exchange drives home statements about systemic racism and the complexity of friendship across race and region. The show continually revisits the salience of race in the FBI, which, in real-life, has been long‑rumored to be laden with discrimination. In Episode 4, for example, a Black male security guard, also an FBI agent, invites Mapp to a meeting of The Black Coalition, a support group for Black agents in the FBI that assists in obtaining opportunities in the Bureau. While she respectfully declines, asserting, “it’s not for me,” the frank exchange makes it clear that the show is not shying away from the hard realities of being Black in the Bureau. Lucca De Oliveira ( Seal Team , The Punisher ) plays Tomas, a young, military-trained sniper and Hispanic member of Clarice’s team. Showing strength in courage, he befriends and partners with Clarice when she is dismissed and admonished by her boss and deals with pranks by other FBI agents. Her no‑nonsense and reserved boss, played by Michael Cudlitz ( Southland , The Walking Dead ), surprises Clarice and the audience, though, at every turn. Initially resistant to her joining his team, his trust of her instincts, and her hope of his fair treatment, grows as the series moves on. For viewers who love crime mysteries shrouded in dark aesthetics, with smart, racially, ethnically, and regionally diverse characters and relationships, this is a series you might enjoy. Just don’t expect Hannibal Lecter to be lurking around. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Bloodline reveals that outcasts/monsters are created – not born < Back Bloodline reveals that outcasts/monsters are created – not born KZK Productions, 2015-17 60 minutes Creator: Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, and Daniel Zelman Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Bloodline Altered Fate (JADIEIFGX0QKXZJ1) 00:00 / 06:01 Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Peach Movies and TV shows with a springtime feel or with images of the season Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 When I was in graduate school, my professor stated, “Inequality is violent.” I listened attentively to his explanation then, and while I thought he made a solid case I never fully bought into it. Even the most socialist and altruistic countries have inequality, which indicates it is something that is inevitable and occurs naturally. I do agree, however, that the scale of inequality in the U.S. is obscene and must be remedied through policy. What is violent is unequal treatment and unequal access to opportunities because they allow for castigation, marginalization, and even dehumanization of people who do not have the resources valued in the culture—or in the case of Bloodline , the family. Bloodline is a Netflix original series about a traditional family of six in present-day Florida Keys, an untraditional but serene setting. Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek head the cast as Robert and Sally Rayburn, a set of older Baby Boomers who own Rayburn House, a beautiful resort set on the ocean. As the patriarch of the family, Robert is loved and revered by his four adult children, while Sally is adored and overprotected by them. Skeletons haunt the family, as we learn through flashbacks, old pictures, and of course the dialog between the characters. While the family is highly respected in the community and appears to be close‑knit, it harbors strong anxieties and a general distrust of Danny, the eldest sibling. At the root of these are Robert’s sentiments for his son and the lifelong purgatory he has relegated Danny to because of a pivotal moment of poor judgment he exhibited as a teenager. As the siblings follow Robert’s lead in his ostracism of Danny, we painstakingly realize that outcasts and monsters are not born, rather they are molded and shaped through years of harsh and unequal treatment. The style and setting of Bloodline are reminiscent of the 1960s Elvis Presley movies shot in Hawaii. White sandy beaches, palm trees, and tropical foliage are omnipresent. Boomer hippies sit around in straw hats singing songs backed by the music of Robert’s ever-present ukulele, along with a speckle of teenagers to draw young audiences. The tone and subject matter of the story, however, are serious, making Bloodline a stark contrast from Blue Hawaii , Girls! Girls! Girls! and Paradise, Hawaiian Style . When he is unable to stay an extra day, a guest jokingly says to Sally “I feel like I am being kicked out of paradise!” Far from paradise, the series is particularly disturbing in season 1, where I often found it difficult to sleep after watching an episode. Generation-X is well represented with the 40-something children led by Kyle Chandler ( Friday Night Lights , Early Edition ) as John Rayburn and Ben Mendelsohn as Danny ( The King , Ready Player ). And while Robert and Sally Rayburn present as hippies, Rayburn House offers very little in diversity by way of its employees, guests, or friends of the Rayburn family. Except for the Hispanic workers who have stereotypical roles of carrying the guests’ suitcases, driving the hotel shuttles, and turning down the beds, the resort—indeed the cast—is overwhelmingly White. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau , Key West is 60% Non-Hispanic White. This means 40% of the island consists of other groups, namely, Hispanics who comprise just under a quarter and Blacks who make up about 14%. Their absence in Robert and Sally’s circle after 50 years on the island reinforces the show's ‘60s aesthetics feel. Interestingly though, each of the siblings has a working or personal relationship with a member of one of these groups, as if the writers were positing the message that time has moved on. Finally and annoyingly, Sally is flappable at every unexpected turn of events. Despite establishing the reputation of the Rayburn House with her husband over the last 50 years, she repeatedly asks how, why, and when questions like she’s clueless, and she defers meaningful business and family decisions to her husband and children. They, in turn, consider the degree to which their decisions will please or upset “Mom.” Sally’s relinquishing of her power is another example of the throwback feel of the show. She is the matriarch of the family, but she does not assert her authority by making her wishes known. Instead, she retreats, refusing to deal with the difficult things and expecting the men in her life to “take care of [them].” Unlike her mother, Meg, played by Linda Cardellini ( The Green Book , Daddy’s Home 2 ), is a strong‑willed, tenacious, and competent lawyer who handles the legal aspects of the family business. Throughout the series, she is revealed as fun‑loving and quite the opposite of a traditional wallflower. Her portrayal hammers home the generational difference between her and her mother. Make no mistake about this show. While it is a ‘60s feel story in a contemporary, bright, beach setting, the subject matter is serious and can be quite disturbing. Stories about family dysfunction often are this way, some less scratch-the-chalkboard-surface than others. But our tastes and appetites vary. While I struggled to get past season 1, this series might just work for you. 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< Back Twinless poses questions about the durability of friendships Permut Presentations, 2025 100 minutes Director/Writer: James Sweeney Reading Time: 6 minutes Twinless Don't Keep Me Waiting (66XECAPGHBL2DNLR) 00:00 / 07:49 Sage: Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Reba Chaisson 2025-10-23 Unlikely couple. If we only had a dime for every time we heard this. When we see two people who differ dramatically in appearance, speech, or even sexual orientation, we tilt our heads as if mentally shifting the duo to the metaphorical misfit category, relegating their relationship to doom. James Sweeney’s Twinless forces us to modify such responses. It’s a story about Roman, a twenty-something man who suddenly loses his twin brother Rocky in a car accident. The film opens with a shot of a colorful commuter train leaving a station. As the train clears out and the camera holds on the empty platform, we hear the screech of a car’s wheels and a terrible impact. Immediately, we know something has gone terribly wrong. Set in Portland, Twinless stars Dylan O’Brien from the long-running television series Teen Wolf , and James Sweeney, who is also the writer and director of the 2019 film, Straight Up . A native Idahoan, Roman (O’Brien) is mourning the tragic loss of his identical twin brother, Rocky. When his mother Lisa, played by Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls , insists that he needs help, he joins a support group for people who have lost twin siblings. The group’s therapist, Charlotte, played by Tasha Smith from Why Did I Get Married and First Wives Club , asks them to introduce themselves by naming a vegetable beginning with the letter of their first name and revealing something they don’t miss about their twin. At this moment, I wonder if the movie is a comedy rather than the heavy drama I surmised from the story’s synopsis. But given the timing soon after Rocky’s funeral, perhaps this was intended to bring some levity to the moment. Roman meets Dennis (James Sweeney) during a session break, as Dennis makes small jokes and shares that he lost his twin brother Dean. In their mourning, Roman and Dennis forge a bond, attending parties and hockey games together as if standing in for each other’s sibling. Roman and Dennis, though, could not be more different. Roman is heterosexual and Dennis is gay. Roman likes hockey and Dennis craves sandwiches. Roman is fit and goes to the gym regularly, and Dennis, who does not work out, is slim and lanky in appearance. Yet the two become very close. Roman struggles mightily with Rocky’s loss, as evidenced by him wearing Rocky’s clothes and avoiding everyday tasks. But when he opens the refrigerator to find only a sliced onion and discovers only stale cookies in the cabinet, he calls Dennis to go grocery shopping with him, something the two continue regularly. During a shopping trip, they bump into George, one of Rocky’s friends, who notes that he witnessed the accident and was the last to see him alive. As he clumsily and without invitation shares that Rocky was distracted by a “crazy guy” who was yelling at him at the time, Roman says he would (to put it mildly) hurt the guy real bad if he found him. Leaving a hockey game one night, the duo encounter three men, one of whom lobs a gay pejorative at them. Roman confronts him and insists he apologize. When he doesn’t, the four get into a brawl while Dennis watches fearfully but with concern. This brings to mind a scene from the limited series Black Doves , where a gay man, steeled by the gunfire around him, becomes so paralyzed, he has to be physically carried out of danger while he cries and covers his ears. LGBTQ individuals are often targets of harassment and violence, but such character portrayals can lead to the perpetuation of stereotypes about the group. While most studies in this area focus on partner violence, research out of London found that men who are gay “score higher for empathy and show significantly lower levels of physical aggression than heterosexual men.” This suggests that the former are not likely to engage in physical fighting, even when it means defending themselves against strangers. I am reminded of Hoon Lee’s portrayal of Job (pronounced Jobe) in the popular television series Banshee , where the LGBTQ character frequently demonstrates the ability to handle bullies with a sharp tongue and with or without weapons. Perhaps the London research attests to the threat response of many gay men. But I wonder if more portrayals of LGBTQ men fighting back or coming to the defense of their friends, can help disrupt stereotypes about the community as passive and thus vulnerable. Roman’s altercation with the trio after the hockey game and his expressed desire to exact retribution on the person he views as responsible for Rocky’s death suggest that he is still struggling with Rocky’s loss. He later reveals to Dennis that he regrettably used the same pejorative against Rocky soon after he came out as gay, and that he feels that “drove him” to leave home and settle elsewhere. To provide comfort, Dennis invites Roman to talk to him as if he were Rocky. Roman says through tears, “I don’t know how to be without you.” Testimonials at the therapy sessions reveal not only the patients’ sense of loss, but also how their pain can be differentiated from the pain that stems from losing a sibling who is not a twin. Roman reveals, for example, that he’s glad he has the pain because otherwise he is “actually alone.” Another notes that twins are “built-in best friends.” As if to drive home this point, in a flashback scene, Rocky describes breaking his toe as a child, and how Roman smashed his own toe so he wouldn’t have to suffer alone. Given this, it is no surprise that Roman defines himself in relation to his brother and struggles to adjust to life without him. Roman’s life changes when he meets Marcie (Aisling Franciosi) at a party. As the pair begin spending time together, Dennis becomes resentful and is seen peering at the couple during the party and later sniping at Marcie. A long time co-worker of Dennis’s, Marcie questions the veracity of Dennis’s claims of having a twin brother, leading her then to question his motives for befriending Roman. There are some great plot twists in this drama that help keep the audience in anticipation of what will unfold in the story. Central to them are what is Dennis’s motivation for lying and what he wants with Roman. These questions are posed by writer James Sweeney, to challenge the notion that friendships built on lies and half-truths, wherever they line up on the compatibility scale, cannot endure. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back One Battle After Another shows what commitment looks like Ghoulardi Film Company, 2025 161 minutes Director/Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson / Paul Thomas Anderson and Thomas Pynchon Reading Time: 7 minutes One Battle After Another Sweat and Steel (RFNEP3V3LPB6SW9N) 00:00 / 09:02 📷 : Used with permission, Alessandro Montalto https://x.com/noctrnlayouts https://www.instagram.com/noctrnl.layouts/ https://www.behance.net/nocturnalayouts Honeybush: Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Rosemary: Movies and TV shows with intense action Reba Chaisson 2025-10-30 Such a fitting title, One Battle after Another . One reason I enjoyed this film so much is it takes modern day problems and presents them through a 1970s lens using cinematography, close spaces, and automobiles that take us back to the era. The film stars Teyana Taylor of A Thousand and One , Leonardo DiCaprio, and Sean Penn in a gripping, moving story about an activist determined to right injustices through action rather than words, and a colonel just as determined to get his way. The film opens with Perfidia (Taylor) walking intentionally across a bridge and peering down into what appears to be some type of encampment below. She quickly meets up with about six others, where together they strategize an attack on the area. When Perfidia’s partner, Bob (DiCaprio), asks her what she wants him to do, she instructs him to "create a show” when she gives him the signal. All quickly retreat to their cars, drive a short distance, and quietly enter a gated area holding heavy duty rifles, and taking care of anyone who gets in their way. Perfidia encounters a sleeping Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Penn), who oversees what turns out to be a holding camp for undocumented immigrants. She puts the weapon in his face, wakes him, emphatically introduces herself, “Wake up, soldier boy. You died and went to p***** heaven, motherf*****,” and eventually subdues him without laying a finger on him. Incensed, he assures her that he will see her again. The group then releases the immigrants, loads them into trucks, and drives away. This 161-minute film wastes no time pulling you into the story. Immediately, you are intrigued by Perfidia, a tough, late twenty-something who seems to fear nothing and is willing to risk her life to stand on principle. Where did such fearlessness and commitment come from? We get hints from this later in the film when her grandmother asks Bob where he came from and tells him he is not tough enough for Perfidia, adding that she comes from “a long line of revolutionaries.” When a small group of the racially diverse French 75 crew execute a mission to plant bombs in a federal building, Perfidia is encountered by Colonel Lockjaw, who surprisingly tells her that he wouldn’t stop her from doing whatever she was doing, if she meets him later. After only a momentary pause, she continues planting the bomb and proceeds to leave, all while Lockjaw lustfully watches her walk away. Perfidia’s lack of change in facial expression or body language not only indicated that she was undeterred by Lockjaw’s demand, but that nothing, even sleeping with the enemy, would keep her from what seemed to be a personal commitment to right the wrongs for problems that many of us feel powerless to effect. Think of the times where we shook our heads or shrugged our shoulders, as if to say “What are you gonna do?” or “He’s the boss” or “They’re in the chair.” Clearly, Perfidia is neither a head-shaker nor a shrugger. She feels empowered and has embarked on a path that suggests she is fully committed to the cause. Bob is dismayed when Perfidia doesn’t pull back while she is pregnant nor even after the baby arrives. Many people, once learning they are having a child, become introspective and consider adjustments they must make to provide a stable life for their child. Ironically, Bob is ready to do this. But when he confronts Perfidia about doing the same, she tells him that she is a revolutionary, not a homemaker. This flips the script on gender roles. Gender norms and the cult of domesticity tacitly transmit beliefs from generation to generation that taking care of children and the home are the mother’s responsibility, and that the father’s role is to provide for the family financially. While the roles have blended substantially since the 1970s, the cultural expectations around parental responsibilities are still largely based in gender. Colonel Lockjaw’s priorities in this film are interesting with respect to his aspirations to join an elite, all-male, all-White club that believes in the superiority of an Aryan race and requires its members to remain racially pure. In other words, applicants can have no history of intimate relations with anyone who is not White. Although Lockjaw’s affinity for Perfidia is in direct conflict with the club’s strict rules, like a rottweiler with a meaty bone and a vampire who sees blood, he is committed to being accepted as a member. So, under the guise of capturing undocumented Hispanic immigrants, he spends much of the movie mobilizing his troops across U.S. cities in pursuit of Perfidia and others who are aware of his sexual preferences. This scenario mirrors contemporary issues and events, in particular the government’s refusal to release the Epstein files and the ordering of Immigration Control Enforcement (ICE) agents and National Guard troops across U.S. cities. The film hints that the government’s dispatching of agents and troops is intended, at least in part, to obfuscate the controversy around the release of the Epstein files. The allusion of the colonel’s name to the lack of speech and transparency only bolsters this inference. The movie also carries interesting themes about the risks of being unaware of what is happening in the world. When a heist goes bad, the crew is forced to disperse and go on the run. Believing he and his family are safe after more than a decade of no one knocking on the door, Bob becomes a habitual cannabis smoker. But when he receives notification that “they” are on their way, he can’t get his bearings, saying only, “After all this time!” To receive French 75’s help in getting away, Bob needs to remember the passcodes to verify his identity but he struggles to recall them, thus endangering himself and jeopardizing his loved ones. Rather than blame himself for getting comfortable and not remaining vigilant, he repeatedly yells expletives at French 75’s operators who won’t budge on giving him information without him first providing the necessary passcodes. The scenario is meant to be a lesson on the dangers of becoming oblivious to what is going on around us, and of buying into the belief that our lives will not be touched by them. We don’t usually comment on acting in our reviews, but the strong performances in this film demand their mention. In addition to the lead actors, Regina Hall ( The Hate U Give , The Best Man: The Final Chapters ) and Chase Infiniti ( Presumed Innocent ) play pivotal supporting characters in the film. From the story to the aesthetic presentation, One Battle after Another is the total package. Harkening us to the Vietnam War era, incorporating terminology like “revolutionary,” and using resistance tactics from the period, allow for a more objective view of today’s issues by presenting them through yesterday’s lens. Central to the film are the corollary perspectives of Perfidia’s fight for justice and Lockjaw’s fight for himself, which help us see what staunch commitment looks like, regardless of the side you stand on and what you stand for. One Battle After Another is comparable to the 2022 film, How to Blow Up a Pipeline , about a group of young environmentalists frustrated by the lack of attention to climate change, so they devise a plan to destroy a pipeline to make a point. The clandestine nature of the operation along with the film’s dark cinematography also gives it a feel similar to One Battle . Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back HR Representative Apply Now San Francisco, CA, USA Job Type Part Time Workspace Remote About the Role This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Requirements This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. About the Company This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Apply Now

< Back American Fiction ventures outside the box of trauma-centered Black stories 3 Arts Entertainment, 2023 117 minutes Director/Writer: Cord Jefferson Reading Time: 6 minutes American Fiction Imaginative Play (9Y87OES1SQCQILFR) 00:00 / 05:45 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Chamomile: Family dramas Ginger: Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Chris Chaisson 2023-12-22 “Boyz in the Hood, Menace II Society, 12 Years a Slave, Roots, all have impacted me in profound and beautiful ways. They are parts of our story; they are not the totality of our story. So the idea sometimes if we tell these stories over and over again, the mainstream public thinks that that’s the totality of who we are. So when they meet somebody that doesn’t fit into that particular box, they tend to say ‘Oh you’re not like black black. You’re different; you know, you don’t talk the way black people talk.’ Really? ‘Cause I’m black, and this is how I’m talking. So the desire to see a plethora of our experiences, to have our humanity fully shared, is something that is not just good for us; it’s good for the world…” –Sterling K. Brown to Shanelle Genai of The Root . Directed by Cord Jefferson, American Fiction follows Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison (Jeffrey Wright, The Batman ), an ornery professor and novelist who returns home to the metro Boston area to visit his estranged family after being let go by his university. Monk finds himself disgruntled with the state of the publishing world, as the novels getting the most acclaim cater to tired stereotypes of how black Americans speak and behave, as well as the struggles they must overcome that are always tied to their skin color. Desperate to bring more attention to his own work, he pens a story perpetuating such narratives as a joke, hoping to prove a point about the need for stories not rooted in black trauma. Instead, his book, authored under a pseudonym with a criminal background, is embraced and bolstered by its publishers. This forces him to continue the charade, as the popularity of what began as a satirical work skyrockets. The above synopsis highlights American Fiction ’s “A story,” often referred to in sitcom circles as the “Big Lie.” This trope occurs frequently in such TV shows, where a character makes up a spontaneous lie to get out of trouble. The character then goes to greater and greater lengths to maintain the lie as more people become involved and the consequences increase tenfold. If you’ve seen any trailers for American Fiction , you know that this is mainly the premise that the film presents to entice viewers to the box office. The film plays up this comedic thread to much success, inducing several belly laughs from its audience with absurdist humor. For instance, Monk’s initial envy is sparked by the novel of a contemporary named Sintara (Issa Rae, Insecure ), whose bestselling book is entitled We’s Lives in Da Ghetto . Monk lends a similarly goofy name to his own work before upping the ante later in the film. While setting up this A story, the film very shrewdly brings in its more substantive B story: Monk’s complicated relationship with his family. Having a brother and a sister, played by Sterling K. Brown ( This is Us ) and Tracee Ellis Ross ( Black-ish ), Monk learns upon his visit home of family secrets, financial troubles, and health concerns. In the midst of being a frustrated novelist with somewhat petty gripes, he must process all of the new information and be the rock for his family, along with fostering his relationship with a new love interest. As it pokes fun at the prevalence of stories displaying black Americans as a suffering monolith, American Fiction simultaneously ushers in a tale that delivers exactly what the protagonist argues is lacking from modern storytelling. What elevates the film even further is its ability to push back on its own thesis. While the film highlights the dearth of more humane, multi-dimensional stories revolving around black characters, it does not dismiss the value of stories that exist within that monolith either. This becomes abundantly clear when Monk’s love interest utters to him, “Sooner or later, you have to realize that being unable to relate to people is not a badge of honor.” Ultimately, Monk’s disdain for the stories of his contemporaries is tied not just to his moral compass but also his elitism and insecurity. His works are not as popular as he feels they should be, and he criticizes others as one of many ways to shield himself from the pain of rejection. The inner struggle plays out again later in a heated conversation with Sintara about her novel. Naturally, this characteristic carries over into other areas of his life as well. Several subtler themes permeate the film, including how white guilt often operates in academic circles. The movie opens with Monk going back and forth with a white student who objects to covering a book with a racial slur in the title. She expresses her discomfort and disapproval of the word, and Monk replies, “If I got over it, you can too.” His blunt communication eventually prompts her to leave the classroom in tears, for which he is later held responsible. The scene pokes fun at the notion of valuing comfortability over honest discourse, a frequent occurrence in the discussion of social issues. Later on, as Monk pitches a ridiculous title for his book to publishers over the phone, they go along with it rather than pushing back or drawing a hard line in the sand. While the responses of these characters seem over-the-top, they are grounded in the reality of an unwillingness to offend resulting in naïve or disingenuous stances. A similar movie dealing with a frustrated writer’s quest for validation could be the earlier 2023 release You Hurt My Feelings , starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Her character is less scorned by the industry as a whole and more so by her supportive husband’s negative review. Another film with a like-minded premise is the 2000 stage play-adapted drama Chinese Coffee , in which Al Pacino and Jerry Orbach play unsuccessful writers who argue over the latest book that Pacino’s character has written. While neither deal with the larger scope of the publishing world, both, along with American Fiction , depict pretentiousness and resentment seeping into the minds of individuals in what can be a challenging, lonely profession. Already a Golden Globes nominee and festival favorite, American Fiction delivers on providing a less often-told story of black existence, while still including elements of more popular works. Its characters experience pain and suffering, but they also love, laugh and celebrate together. The film’s ability to show the full range of human emotion highlights the rarity of such stories. To Sterling K. Brown’s quote, such work benefits not just black audiences but all consumers. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

The After highlights children’s intuition < Back The After highlights children’s intuition Neon Films, 2023 18 minutes Director/Writer: Misan Harriman / John Julius Schwabach and Misan Harriman Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix The After A Dark Past (WYJRMRUKNMDQSZB1) 00:00 / 04:01 Dandelion Movies/shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2024-02-06 Many of us believe that when we lose one of our senses, the others grow stronger. In the same way, younger children, due to their underdeveloped verbal communication skills, possess stronger nonverbal abilities and even an intuition of how others feel. As adults, we are frequently too distracted with our own problems and responsibilities to recognize a grieving person in front of us. Just the same, we can often be too desensitized or callous to care even when we do. In this sense, adolescents have an advantage over us, still having empathy and observational skills that have not dulled or hardened from life experience. Misan Harriman’s Oscar-nominated short film, The After , hints at this reality over the course of its 18 minutes. David Oyelowo ( Selma ) plays Dayo, a loving husband and father whose world is turned upside down after a stabbing attack that cost him his family. A year later, his career as a businessman is a distant memory, and he works as a rideshare driver while still grieving the sudden, tragic loss he’s endured. Dayo is not without a support system, as many friends call to check up on him, but he has trouble responding and keeping up with his grief counseling appointments. Over the course of a typical day, he provides rides to numerous strangers in London and becomes numb to the conversations occurring in his backseat. Most of his customers are adults who are either conversing with each other, arguing, or on their phones. Though unspoken, it is clear from Dayo’s demeanor that he is repressing a lot of his still unprocessed emotions in order to put on a face for his job. One day, a bickering couple and their silent child pile into his backseat for a ride home. The child sits in the middle, clearly affected by her parents arguing. However, she observes Dayo’s body language and facial expressions as he drives. When they arrive, the parents exit the car and head up their front steps, but the child remains in the car. Dayo asks her if she’d like to get out and go inside, to which she reluctantly obliges. However, before heading up the steps, she turns around and hugs him from behind. The parents, still wrapped up in their own argument, suddenly turn and run down to pry their child off Dayo as he falls to the ground sobbing. They leave him on the sidewalk, where he continues crying before pulling himself together and driving off. The After ’s opening sequence is jarring and tragic enough to make Dayo a sympathetic character for the rest of its duration. However, the interesting aspect of the short film is its display of children’s intuition. Despite all of the adult passengers Dayo has in his car, none seem to acknowledge or read him at all; to them, he is somewhat invisible. The first pair of passengers make this reality evident, as the father brags about his son’s soccer accomplishments while the son tells his dad that Dayo probably does not want to hear it. Being polite, Dayo denies any disinterest, even though deep down the conversation is white noise to him. What eventually cracks him open is the child of the bickering parents, who very clearly resembles his own deceased daughter. Often, films depicting a grieving parent begin after the death has already occurred. Witnessing the sudden and violent nature of his family’s death puts the rest of The After into perspective. In particular, it is easy to become detached from the grieving of other adults, as we not only hear about so much bad in the world but witness it for ourselves. Sometimes, it takes the innocence of a young, attentive soul to recognize another person’s hurt and reach out. The After reminds its audience that although we do not typically think of children as the teachers, sometimes it is good to follow their example. Available on Netflix Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

I Love That for You shows that very little is as it seems < Back I Love That for You shows that very little is as it seems Annapurna Television, 2022 30 minutes Creator: Vanessa Bayer and Jeremy Beiler Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Showtime I Love That for You Tell Dem (69KYUSWZ9TT2H6U9) 00:00 / 07:04 Jasmine Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Peach Movies and TV shows with a springtime feel or with images of the season Reba Chaisson 2023-05-04 The 1971 hit song, “Whatcha See is Whatcha Get” is about a man convincing his lover that unlike her past loves, he is for real. The medium tempo, soulful song by The Dramatics consists of lyrics penned by songwriter Anthony Hester, and begin something like this: Some people are made of plastic Some people are made of wood Some people have hearts of stone Some people are up to no good But baby, I’m for real. I’m as real, as real can get While this might be a bit dramatic (pun intended), you get the point. Things are not always as they seem, and the storyline and characters in the television series, I Love That for You , are strong evidence of this hard truth. I Love That for You depicts behind-the-scenes drama at the Special Value Network or SVN, a home shopping network enterprise. The business is headed by Patricia, a sharply dressed and dictatorial 60-something who founded the successful company. Typically, controlling bosses unwittingly work against themselves,alienating their employees with clear-cut directives and leaving no room for discussion. But this is not the case in this brightly lit series full of quirky characters. Put another way, Patricia, played by Jenifer Lewis, is a strong hands-on leader with skills at negotiating lucrative deals that keep SVN competitive and viable. Closest to her are Darcy Leeds, her smart and loyal assistant played by Matt Rogers ( Fire Island, Shrill ), and Jackie, Patricia’s 50-something best friend played by Molly Shannon ( Other People , Scary Movie 4 ), who is the most successful seller at the network for the past 30 years. While containing some funny moments, warm friendships, and lightly competitive workplace relationships, the show still holds some serious, thought-provoking moments that seem aimed at demystifying several long-held ideas about who people are and the range of their talents and capabilities. One example of this is the idea that life is over at 60-something. Though very serious and controlling, 60-something year-old Patricia is far from one-dimensional, as she is sexually active and particularly enjoys the company of younger Black men. In her words, “What are you saving your vagina for?” Indeed, Patricia is reminiscent of Lady Eloise, Eartha Kitt’s character in the 1992 film Boomerang , where she regularly pursued and seduced men much younger than herself. Like Lady Eloise, Patricia is wealthy and independent, even giving parting gifts to her lovers after their one-night rendezvouses. Despite Patricia being a big part of the series, I Love That for You centers on Joanna, an early 30-something who survived childhood leukemia and still lives under the protective wings of her parents. This is evidenced by her limited social skills (stale jokes, clothes and pajamas with characters, animals and fruits), lack of intimate experience with a partner, and living at home with her parents – who, frustratingly for her, still view her as “sick” despite being cancer-free for 20 years. Fascinated by SVN and Jackie in particular since she was a child, Joanna, played by Vanessa Bayer of Saturday Night Live fame who is also creator of the series, auditions for an on-air role and gets the job. When Patricia asks her “What story are you selling?”, during her first team meeting, she gives an emotionally immature response. Annoyed and unamused, Patricia asks experienced sellers the same – all of whom humorously articulate keen awareness of their on-air identities. Posing the question again to her new employee, Joanna, desperate to keep her job, belts out “I have cancer.” This sudden schtick conjures sympathy not only from Joanna’s colleagues, but also her shopping audience, making her a highly successful seller at SVN. But to what degree can Joanna keep up the lie about her fictitious cancer diagnosis? Storytelling is at the center of selling and perhaps I am being cynical, but many if not most of them are lies. This one is a big one though. Unseemly. It can even be viewed as making light of and profiting off the pain and suffering of people whose lives have been turned inside out by a word some find difficult to say aloud, so choosing to abbreviate it instead as “the C word.” The thing about telling lies is it warrants keeping up the facade, usually by telling more and bigger lies to do so. Finally, when the lie is told so much, it risks overshadowing the identity of the person who is lying. I Love That for You is largely light and fun, despite containing an element that does not make sense. For example, Joanna never shows signs of experiencing cancer treatments. Her skin color and body size never change, and she even maintains a full head of hair throughout the series. Yet, her colleagues make no mention of this. Each episode, though, does continue to challenge commonsense ideas. Joanna, for example, is presented as naïve and innocent but she is a big liar. Beth Ann, a self-identified Iranian woman played by Ayden Mayeri, is depicted as competitive, spiteful, and full of lust, when Iranian women are typically represented as covered and wholesome. Perry, another on-air talent played by Johnno Wilson who presents as effeminate, enjoys sex with women as well as men because “f***ing is f***ing.” And while confident and successful, Jackie carries some deep secrets that suggest she is not as okay as she seems. Even Patricia does not escape this, as while controlling, she demonstrates that she is also intensely passionate. Suffice it to say that very little is as it seems in this series, which is likely what creators Vanessa Bayer and Jeremy Beiler intended. In addition to entertaining, the show reveals the depth and breadth of people across race, gender, and age categories, as if to implore the audience to avoid judging a book by its cover. There are scenes in I Love That for You that recall the fun of Boomerang and the poignancy of the television series, How to Get Away with Murder . The diversity and quirkiness of the characters add to the series’ entertainment value and broad appeal. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Righteous Thieves is an entertaining vehicle for showing others care about the travesties of the Holocaust Broken English Productions, 2023 91 minutes Director/Writer: Anthony Nardolillo / Michael Corcoran Reading Time: 4 minutes Righteous Thieves Turning the Tide (CCXHKP61WIO812WI) 00:00 / 05:12 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition White Movies and TV shows that make you laugh, or involve urgency, like chase scenes or other physical activity Reba Chaisson 2023-03-28 Quite often, we feel our stories are isolated, that no one cares about them but us. While it can sometimes seem difficult to find a sympathetic audience, there is indeed such an audience. Occasionally, we must figure out how to navigate to them and present our stories in ways that elicit empathy. This is apparently what happened with 20-something year-old Annabel in 1985, when 60-something year-old Josef catches her breaking into his Los Angeles home and rather than shooting her, makes a deal with her. I say apparently because the film then cuts to present-day, where Annabel is the head of an all-male Jewish syndicate focused on recovering art, jewelry, and other property stolen by Nazis during the Holocaust in Anthony Nardolillo’s Righteous Thieves . This cut in the movie remains problematic for me because it robs the film of a much-needed emotional element. Clearly, Annabel, played by Lisa Vidal ( Being Mary Jane , The Event ), has dedicated her life to Josef’s cause, which suggests he had quite the effect on her. But what was that like? What conversations did they have? How did their bond develop over the subsequent years – and for how many years? Ultimately, I need to see this relationship unfold – not be told about it through a line from Annabel here and there throughout the film. The absence of this essential element made the film feel inauthentic. Despite the absence of this emotional element, Righteous Thieves is nonetheless an entertaining story about a team of mostly longtime friends coming together to recover valuable paintings stolen from the Jewish community by Nazis during the Holocaust. Led by Annabel, the friends consist of one White and four Hispanic persons combining their safe-cracking, high-tech, and fighting talents to infiltrate the highly secure facility where the items are stored. While 60 Minutes , CBS News , and PBS segments typically focus on institutions and private collectors (Nazis and their heirs) in Europe, Righteous Thieves targets a German holder in upscale Los Angeles who brags to even casual acquaintances about his expensive collection of paintings. As I wrote in my review of Your Honor , good dramatic villains do not call attention to themselves. Denzel Washington’s character in American Gangster was livid that his girlfriend’s gift to him in the form of a white fur coat brought him the unwanted attention of authorities, who until then had no clue about him. The villain in Righteous Thieves , Otto, played by Brian Cousins ( Greenlight , Southland ), brings to mind his counterpart in Bad Boys II, who was neither menacing nor scary; just a bully bolstered by the millions from his ill-gotten gains. In one scene in a nightclub, a drink is spilled on Otto’s phone and out of frustration, he throws it at his bodyguard and yells “Clean it up, clean it up!” This lack of composure is uncharacteristic of an ominous villain. A villain that engages in silly, random, and over-the-top things disrespects audience members, making it difficult for them to buy into the movie. Believable antagonists such as the ones in American Gangster , the original Beverly Hills Cop and even the original Bad Boys are cool, menacing, and thus, scary. They show the audience what they are capable of doing and how far they will go to get what they want. Otto fell far, far short of this bar. While lacking the authenticity of emotion and a menacing antagonist, Righteous Thieves is entertaining and brings up a major theme that rings quite true. It demonstrates that people other than those of Jewish background care deeply about the travesties of the Holocaust and feel strongly that stolen assets should be returned to their rightful owners forthwith. The film reminds me of the television series, Leverage , that ran from 2008-2012, where the team of two women and three men frequently used advanced technology, costumes, and slick fighting to infiltrate high society in order to recover items or expose truths. Played by Timothy Hutton, Nathan Ford led the team with the impetus of gaining leverage for their clients who rarely had any due to their lack of money or class status. Righteous Thieves is quite similar in substance and entertainment value. The teams of five differed only in ethnic and gender composition and team leader. It would not be surprising if Righteous Thieves morphed into a sequel or two, or perhaps even migrated to television as a series. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Frankie highlights the difficulty of finding your voice and standing up for yourself. < Back Frankie highlights the difficulty of finding your voice and standing up for yourself. Red Seed Films, 2020 11 minutes Director/Writer: James Kautz Reading Time: 2 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Red Seed Films Frankie Skeptical (JNOPSEQC5DDSCMWJ) 00:00 / 02:37 Ginger Thought-provoking movies/shows Dandelion Movies/shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2022-09-25 “Do you have any idea what it’s like holding back who you really are ‘cause of someone else’s fears?” Frankie opens on the title character, a trans man, crashing his partner’s all-male support group meeting to vent his frustrations at him. The other members treat him with much hostility, as they feel their safe space to heal is being invaded. Though one might assume his scorn is at being rejected, Frankie’s true gripe is over his partner’s refusal to accept his new identity. Amidst the heckles and jeers of the other group members, he recounts the details of the fight that ended their relationship. The meeting serves as a microcosm of many individuals’ emotional experience in the midst of a transition. As they try to find their voice and discover their true identity, they frequently get silenced or shouted down. There is a constant battle to get others to see them as who they are, not who they were. Frankie reveals that to be cruel, his partner dead-named him (a modern term for calling a trans person by the name they used before transitioning). Throughout his soliloquy, his partner will not even look him in the eye, a gesture that would signify acceptance of his change. Director James Kautz does a brilliant job of using sound to create tension. It begins with Frankie in the hall outside the door, debating whether or not to go through with his plan. We can hear the other support group members’ echoing laughter on the other side of the door. Once Frankie enters, silence fills the room, and this contrast conveys their overwhelming discomfort. The group moderator uses a gentle tone, but the other members speak more sharply as they attempt to shoo him away. When Frankie is finally allowed to vent, a non-diegetic, quickening drum pattern accompanies the rise in his anger level before he stands up and yells. The emotional depth of this short may bring to mind feature-length films such as 500 Days of Summer , Juno , or even The Story of Us . All three deal with a drastic change throwing relationship dynamics in flux. We see the protagonists processing their anger and confusion while simply trying to be heard. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Operation: Cavity makes a strong statement about understanding experiences from a kid’s point of view. < Back Operation: Cavity makes a strong statement about understanding experiences from a kid’s point of view. Silvermine Productions, 2022 18 minutes Director/Writer: Alex Morsanutto Reading Time: 2 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Alex Morsanutto Operation: Cavity Seeing Results (N1PNDA1PEINSBVGA) 00:00 / 02:58 White Movies and TV shows that make you laugh, or involve urgency, like chase scenes or other physical activity Yarrow Movies and TV shows about illness or set in hospitals or similar medical institutions Reba Chaisson 2022-09-25 Operation: Cavity is a comedy about four friends who devise a scheme to get revenge on their dentist for the years of filled cavities, pulled teeth, and awkward x-rays. It is a short, hilarious film that packs a big punch, with multiple settings and bright aesthetics that bring back memories of childhood films like The Sandlot , The Bad News Bears , and Mighty Ducks . The exquisite cinematography and continual movement of the story time-travels us to the days when we were 10 and 11 years old: loyal to our friends and doing goofy stuff like challenging people—knowing we would get our butts kicked. Indeed, the inciting event of Operation: Cavity occurs when Douglas, played by Jonathan O’Reilly, gets clobbered while standing up for his friend Timmy, played by Declan Foley. Doug’s subsequent visit to the dentist brilliantly presents the experience from his vantage point, with bright lights, whizzing tools, and intimidating instruments—and care providers. Something so necessary appears nonetheless quite daunting, if not traumatic, through Doug’s eyes. As far as he and his friends are concerned, the dentist exists to inflict pain. Realizing what a visit to a medical provider looks and feels like from a child’s point of view may take some audience members aback. The experience is quite scary, and the procedures are seen as assaultive rather than caring acts. They are traumatizing rather than calming. And dental work amounts to punishment for a crime they didn’t commit. This is sure to motivate adults to consider ways to mitigate children’s anxieties around what they see as “the dreaded visit to the dentist,” with more comforting words offered by providers, perhaps. Permitting parents/guardians into the room for procedures and allowing children headphones so they can listen to the music of their choice may also help. Made as a proof of concept for a young adult TV series, director Alex Morsanutto's short film conveys strong themes about what friendship means to pre-adolescents and the importance of appreciating experiences from a child’s perspective. The fact that the cast is age-, gender-, and racially-diverse adds an inclusive element to this relatable work of art. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Getting Up Close and Personal with Crawdads and Vengeance A look at how film informs our perspective Reba Chaisson 11/4/22 Reading Time: 11 minutes 📸: Licensed from Shutterstock I don’t think we consider enough what film teaches us about ourselves and the circumstances of people with whom we have little sustained contact. Vengeance and Where the Crawdads Sing ( Crawdads ) are two films that accomplish this, taking us out of our comfort zones and bringing the unfamiliar up-close and personal. Crawdads follows Kya, a girl who is abandoned by her family in the 1950s and grows up alone on their land in a North Carolina marsh. When the restless 8-year-old ventures into nearby Barkley Cove for school, the town’s privileged adults hurl names at her like “Marsh Girl” while the children tease her for lacking shoes and suitable outfits for school. Traumatized by the treatment, Kya withdraws to shield herself from the sting, minimizing even casual encounters with anyone but her shadow. Destitute, she makes a life for herself in the marsh without the help of formal schooling, family, or even neighbors. She trusts less than a handful of people, two of them being Jumpin’ and Mabel. Played by Sterling Macer Jr. ( Double Take , BAB ) and Michael Hyatt ( The Little Things , Snowfall ), respectively, the congenial Black couple own the General Store in town and support the young girl with clothing and food. Kya also comes to trust Tom Milton, a kindly older lawyer, played by David Strathairn ( The Bourne Ultimatum , Godzilla ). In her seemingly endless days, weeks, months, and years of solitude, Kya, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones ( Normal People , Under the Banner of Heaven ), evolves into a naturalist, making beautifully detailed drawings of shells, and documenting the different species of birds and insects along with their habits. As she grows into a young adult and yearns for intimate relationships, she opens her heart to Tate, played by Taylor John Smith ( Cruel Intentions , You Get Me ) and slowly begins to discover what it feels like to be connected to people beyond her tiny circle, to learn what it feels like to love, be loved, and all that it means. But when a popular guy in town is found dead in a well-known hangout in the marsh, Kya is conveniently accused of his murder and the people in town unhesitatingly accept that “the Marsh Girl did it.” While Crawdads focuses on the life and travails of a young woman, Vengeance centers on Ben, a 30-something budding journalist from New York City. The inciting incident occurs when Ben receives news of the sudden death of Abilene Shaw, a woman from rural Texas with whom he had a one-night stand during her visit to the Big Apple. When her distraught brother, Ty, calls with the news, Ben initially struggles to remember her, and even when he does, he expresses only obligatory condolences rather than the genuine sense of sadness expected by her brother. Confused as to why he received a call at all, Ben, played by B.J. Novak ( The Office , Inglourious ), quickly learns that Abilene led her family to believe he was her fiancée. When Ty, played by Boyd Holbrook ( In the Shadow of the Moon , The Predator ), coerces him into coming to Texas for the funeral, Ben stays and writes a story about southern rural life, under the guise of helping the family find the person responsible for Abilene’s death and getting “retribution.” In his half-hearted effort to get answers from authorities, Ben becomes flabbergasted and exhausted as none appear committed to investigating Abilene’s death, let alone finding out who is responsible for dumping her body in an oil field where, conveniently, jurisdiction is unclear. Resigning himself to the reality that the case will never be solved, Ben returns to what was always his priority—writing his story. Crawdads and Vengeance are released at an interesting time in the U.S., when the states are segmented into red or blue and the language used to assess and even describe the phenomenon is largely negative (i.e. separate, divided). Like labeling, the consequences for this are prejudgments and deepening antagonisms about the people in each segment, affecting our ability to view them as residents of the same country or even as situated in a culture that is unique to each state. Perhaps the stories in these films will blur the lines a bit, encourage us to see what we have in common and still appreciate the uniqueness of our lived experiences. It is also interesting that these two independent films landed in mainstream theaters. If released at all, films centering Whites in rural areas of the South typically feature characters who are passively ridiculed in a short-lived cut or portrayed one-dimensionally as villainous because something went quite awry in their lives. Ironically, Ben is presented as the oddity in Vengeance, as he missteps the culture of a rodeo event and later has a meltdown because he cannot get the answers to what he views as simple questions for his story. In stark contrast, for the Shaw family, it ain’t that serious; it just is. Sociology teaches that you cannot understand a person without engaging him or her. In the case of a community, you cannot understand it without becoming a part of it. Some of the best research is conducted by engaging people and becoming a part of communities (Read Nickel and Dimed by the late Barbara Ehrenreich.). The engagement—questions, conversations, immersion in the culture—is meant to learn about people given their everyday circumstances, not as tools for manipulating and shaping their world views. This learning takes more than a minute, an hour, or even a day. Rather, it takes weeks, months, and sometimes even years. Ben’s effort to exploit the Shaws for a story and shape them into viewing the world through his eyes (i.e. expressing themselves in ways he understands them, and believing they are missing out by not being connected to urban life as he is) speaks volumes about how our biases shape who we are. They also speak to how, at times, we consciously or unconsciously view ourselves as more accepted, normal, or in some way better than others. From this vantage point, we (intentionally or not) impose constraints on others, stripping away their humanity and treating them as outsiders. We also see this in Crawdads , when Kya is indicted for murder and the other citizens are convinced, without evidence, that “the Marsh girl” did it. This label and Kya’s lack of connection to the influential people in town who had effectively relegated her to the marsh, allows for objectifying and dehumanizing her. This influences the attitudes and actions of authorities and other townspeople toward Kya, making it seem perfectly logical to believe she committed the crime. At the risk of being redundant, it fascinates me that these two films that do a wonderful job humanizing Whites in rural areas of the South landed in mainstream theaters. Classified as a comedy/mystery, Vengeance falls on some obvious stereotypes of Whites in rural areas. But the development of the characters over the 107 minutes allows us to see the Shaws as people rather than the typical cinematic caricatures of Whites in the Deep South. Crawdads , a drama/mystery film, provides a singular laser-focused glimpse into the life of a girl abandoned by her family at a very young age and forced to grow up alone, living off the land. In presenting these circumstances and her ostracism by the people in town, the film humanizes her and even tugs at the audience’s heart strings. I wonder, though, if these are still viewed as one-off portrayals. Much has been written on the power of film representations in shaping our perspective. In a 2017 interview with the Huffington Post , Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón who now heads the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative at UCLA states, “What you see [on film] often becomes a part of your memory and thus a part of your life experience.” Will audience members come away from these stories with an informed perspective about people in rural areas of the South, or will they soon dismiss the depictions as atypical and not representative of Whites in the Deep South? In films where White characters from rural areas are ridiculed or portrayed as criminally defective (i.e. Deliverance , Winter’s Bone , Mud ), we don’t typically walk away viewing Whites as a group in these ways. This is largely due to the preponderance of “normal” middle-class Whites in the film and television images we see. Thus, White representations that deviate from these depictions are dismissed as one-offs—oddities, expendables, a glimpse of people who just “don’t fit,” “don’t matter,” and “aren’t relevant.” I still wonder, hope maybe, that the representations in Crawdads and Vengeance will take up space in our memories, even if just a little, to influence the way we think about people in these regions. I also wonder if viewers’ ideas about racial identity will begin to turn over in their heads. If Vengeance and Crawdads did not center Whites, one might think the subjects in the films were people of color in the U.S. Had they been, I wonder if we would have exited the theaters with our biases confirmed or challenged about these groups. Author Florentine Bakkenes writes in her 2022 Diggit Magazine article , that “The media people consume, the movies they watch, and the television series they follow, are not just entertainment, it also has an impact on the way people think and view other people.” In her 2018 New York Times article on what film teaches her about being a woman, film critic Manohla Dargis writes, “There isn’t a causal relationship between viewer behavior and the screen. There doesn’t have to be. Because movies get into our bodies, making us howl and weep, while their narrative and visual patterns, their ideas and ideologies leave their imprint.” In Crawdads and Vengeance , the characters are normal and/or heroic ones that display the depths of their humanity. They are loving, caring, funny, rude, smart, not-so-smart, good, bad, and all the gray areas in between. If the Shaws were Black and Kya was Latina, would this tickle viewers' sensibilities about the depth and breadth of the humanity of Blacks and Hispanics as a whole? I love these films and my eyes watered as I left the theaters (particularly for Vengeance ), because these were stories that needed to be told. Whites in rural areas are rarely centered and humanized in film, but Crawdads and Vengeance do a wonderful job of changing this trend. Having said this, I look forward to seeing similar cinematic presentations centering underrepresented people of color. Vengeance brings to mind the film, Wind River , which is about the death of a Native American woman on a reservation in Wyoming and the reluctance of federal authorities in working the case. As in Vengeance , law enforcement was not interested in investigating the death of a woman of poor background in a rural area. Where the Crawdads Sing is reminiscent of the 1972 film, Sounder , starring Kevin Hooks as David Lee and the late and great Cicely Tyson as Rebecca. Set in the Deep South in the 1930s, the film is about Nathan Lee (played by Paul Winfield), a Black sharecropper who is wrongfully jailed for a crime he did not commit. I still remember the poignant scene where a sheriff’s deputy used a knife to cut holes into the beautifully frosted chocolate cake meant for Nathan, as his 10-year-old son David helplessly watched a symbol of his mother’s love for her husband be destroyed. My recollection of the details of these films reinforces the point that film “imprints” itself, teaching us something about who we are and the circumstances of people with whom we have little if any sustained contact. While what we glean from the lessons vary depending upon our vantage point, experiences, and knowledge of the past, the depictions of people and circumstances have the power to inform, thus shaping our perspective. Sometimes film confirms our views and other times, its stories and depictions challenge them. In either case, good or bad, welcome or not, we are learning something. References Bakkenes, F. (2022). Diversity and Representation in TV and Movies and Why it Matters. Diggit Magazine . https://www.diggitmagazine.com/papers/diversity-and-representation-tv-and-movies-and-why-it-matters Boboltz, S and Yam, K. Why On-Screen Representation Actually Matters. The Huffington Post . https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-on-screen-representation-matters_n_58aeae96e4b01406012fe49d Boorman, J. (Director). (1972). Deliverance [Film]. Elmer Enterprises. Dargis, M. (2018). What the Movies Taught Me About Being a Woman. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/30/movies/women-in-movies.html Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and Dimed . Metropolitan Books. Granik, D. (Director). (2010). Winter’s Bone [Film]. Anonymous Content. Newman, O. (Director). (2022). Where the Crawdads Sing [Film]. Columbia Pictures. Nichols, J. (Director). (2012). Mud [Film]. Everest Entertainment. Novak, B. J. (Director). (2022). Vengeance [Film]. Blumhouse Productions. Ritt, M. (Director). (1972). Sounder [Film]. Radnitz/Mattel Productions. Sheridan, T. (Director). (2017). Wind River [Film]. Acacia Filmed Entertainment. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!