Preen (1994)

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. 

Sunny Sandler, daughter of Adam Sandler, stars in a new Netflix film directed by Julia Hart, and it has caught the attention of many younger audiences as they watch this heartfelt coming-of-age story. The film's relatability of just being a normal teenage girl also tells a devastating reality that many cannot fathom facing. The storyline showcases a deeper meaning of the classic theatre kid saying, “the show must go on”, and emotionally captures the struggles that happen on and off the stage.

Writing great villains is about striking a balance between charming and evil, so we love them but also love to see them lose.

"13 Going on 30" tracks the tricky transition from adolescence to adulthood.

The May Incluvie Movie Highlights features 3 fantastic coming-of-age films. We explore butterfly-inducing Sneakerella and Crush, and the sadly timely feature - The Fallout, about the after-effects of a school shooting.

Disney has kept its word and allowed a new generation of Black and/or African storytellers to tell their own original stories. The question remains, will the public keep their word?