(Note: This article was originally publiched by Mick Cohen-Carroll on Medium in June 2020. For current information about the state of the racial justice movement in America, I recommend reading updates about Derek Chauvin’s trial, this interview with Kentucky’s Rep. Attica Scott about the ongoing imapct of Breonna Taylor’s murder, this update about the shooting of Jacob Blake, and this analysis of the scope of Black Lives Matter protests.)

Though there is room for art, and you must be creative to make a film, the movie industry is, after all, just that: an industry. And in an industry, the primary goal is to make money. If it’s art, great, but that is not the end goal. Artistry is the byproduct. That is why people like Martin Scorsese call the Marvel movies “theme parks” and not cinema. He makes the distinction that cinema is (by his definition) more daring, unexpected, honest and artistic.

Alike lives with her parents and her younger sister Sharonda (Sahra Mellesse), who knows that Alike is a lesbian but keeps it a secret. She has a close relationship with her father Arthur (Charles Parnell) but still fears him finding out about her sexuality. Her relationship with her mother Audrey (Kim Wayans) is hanging on by a thread, as Audrey fears that her daughter is hanging out with the wrong people — namely Laura (Pernell Walker), a butch lesbian who is Alike’s best friend.

In an effort to draw Alike away from Laura, Audrey—who more or less knows her daughter is gay but does her best to ignore it—forces Alike to hang out with Bina (Aasha Davis), a girl from their church. As the two begin to spend more time together, Alike develops feelings for Bina, which leads to distance between her and Laura.