"Waves" Goes the Wrong Direction in Racial Depiction, Despite Its Intent and Beauty
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What begins as a simple office Secret Santa slowly unravels into a quiet nightmare of misunderstandings, resentment, and forced cheer, as coworkers gather to exchange gifts and make small talk during the holiday season.
Spoiler Warning
This article is about the popular 'High School Musical: The Musical: The series.'
The major flaw of the series is that it’s hosted on Netflix and barely makes malicious comments about it despite being focused on the lives of people directly affected by the Capitalist mentality of the OTT corporation.
Overall, 18 Presents feels more like a soap opera than a drama, and I feel bad for saying that since the concept is based off a tragic story (even though it’s loosely). I’m sure other people will find this film emotional for them, but as for me, it’s bland and forgettable.
The Gates, John Burr’s new thriller film, is a disturbingly realistic portrayal of three Black twenty-somethings - Derek (Mason Gooding), Kevin (Algee Smith), and Tyon (Keith Powers), as they accidentally take a wrong turn into a gated community that’s more like a modern-day sundown town. The three friends witness a variety of crimes in their new surroundings, including an attempted homicide and an attempted rape. As they attempt to alert the authorities and do the right thing, they are thwarted at every turn by the worst horror stories of American conservatism - racist white suburbanites, reckless gun violence, corrupt police, religious mania, and a megalomaniacal pastor.
GOAT (2026) opens to the chanting of a crowd: "Roots run deep!" The rest of the film goes on to echo that sentiment, offering gorgeous animation and a heartfelt story along the way.