‘Water Lilies’ and the Journey of Identity
A gentle coming of age story, Water Lilies takes its time in exploring what it’s like to be a young girl trying to make sense of her sexuality in a heteronormative world.

Seeking fame and artistic freedom, Wolfgang leaves Salzburg with his mother. Yet unlike his childhood days, he is no longer celebrated everywhere he goes. Eventually, he exhausts his funds, and tragedy strikes when his mother dies during their travels. Heartbroken, Wolfgang returns home, where Baroness von Waldstätten, who has long recognized his genius, offers her support. Strengthened by her encouragement, Wolfgang resolves to move to Vienna to pursue his music career.
A gentle coming of age story, Water Lilies takes its time in exploring what it’s like to be a young girl trying to make sense of her sexuality in a heteronormative world.
A young girl who is determined to sail the ocean within 210 days at sea brings an adventurous story for viewers.
Throughout the film, Kate desperately tries keeping her status as an influential YouTuber; however, her follower and view count crumble, mirroring the world around her.
We are constantly being pushed to move on from mishaps and negative feelings. What happens if we're not ready to do so?
Honey Don't! is a chaotic queer noir that's part detective story, part midnight movie madness. Margaret Qualley is fantastic as the wise-cracking private eye Honey, with Aubrey Plaza and Chris Evans adding their own dry humor to the mix. The mystery itself is pretty loose, but the film makes up for it with crackling sexual tension, weird side characters, and razor-sharp dialogue. It's messy and uneven, but in the best possible way.
The social issues The Half of it takes on are handled well, between the antagonization brought on to Ellie for her race and the conflict that arises from her being gay. Both aspects of her character are built up over the course of the film and don’t seem abrupt or rushed. The film shows racism towards Ellie and her and father in varying levels, from having her schoolmates specifically address her as "Chinese girl” to the fore mentioned way her Dad is treated due to language barriers. The same can be said about Ellie being a lesbian. While she never truly “comes out” in the narrative, that does not undermine her journey of self-discovery from being meaningful. These ideas aren’t thrust upon the viewer in a preachy manor, the scenarios that occur feel believable given the rural setting. The film presents watchers with problems whom those like Ellie may face, and leaves us to sit with them and reflect.