On the Other Side 

The trouble with Yara (2021) is that in its attempt to tell the whole story, it struggles to tell a consistently engaging story.

A sweet, singalong distraction with several positive messages.

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. 

Rather than focusing on the bleak, cynical aspects of life post-pandemic, the focus is optimistic and hopeful.

Jennifer Lopez leads the story as Zoe, a determined woman who opts for artificial insemination after a string of failed relationships. Lopez's portrayal adds depth and warmth to Zoe

The film exhibits a respect for the craft and an empathy for human tribulations that have historically been ignored.