I’m coming to this film regrettably late, after two of its stars have gone onto Marvel properties and another is co-starring in Abbott Elementary. As such, in some ways it’s a time capsule of when it was made while 1) having some important things to say that still resonate today and 2) being really entertaining. Also, while I know writer/director Justin Simien went on to create the Netflix series of the same name, I haven’t gotten that far yet.
At Winchester University, Black students navigate the cultural, social, and political minefield of attending a mostly-white Ivy League school. Sam is known for her sly "dear white people" bon mots on her student radio show, and amid debates over a potential dilution of the Black dorm, she suddenly finds herself elected Armstrong-Parker’s new RA, beating out legacy candidate Troy. Aspiring influencer Coco pushes to join a reality show, but she’s torn when it becomes clear that the “drama” they’re looking for involves hood stereotypes she’s very deliberately distanced herself from. And after being harassed out of numerous dorms, Lionel tries his hand at Armstrong-Parker, all the while being encouraged by his friends at the student newspaper to help get the lowdown on the situation stirring there.
That’s kind of an unwieldy plot summary, and there is a lot going on in this film, but the various moving parts mostly fit together. It’s a satire with a wide range of targets across the overarching landscape of academia, hitting on situations Black students face with their white classmates, with each other, and with the administration. As such, it’s very much an “issues” film with plenty to say, and it manages to be both biting and funny.
Each of the main characters is something of an archetype but still feels specific, and they’re all very different from one another. Sam is a character that some of her classmates would probably call “militant” or “radical,” and she’s passionate about her beliefs, but she’s also become something of an unwitting spokesperson, a position she didn’t really ask for. When she challenges Troy as RA, she mainly wants to make a point about preserving Armstrong-Parker—she doesn’t expect to win. Coco does everything she can to make herself “acceptable” for her white classmates, trying to cultivate an image of who she wants to be that can put her at odds with the other Black kids. Troy feels a huge amount of pressure from his dad, the dean of students, to be high-achieving and “respectable” in very specific ways. Unsurprisingly, all of this is at odds with what he really wants, and he struggles with whether to be himself or a mini version of his dad. And as someone who’s both Black and gay, Lionel doesn’t feel like he fits in anywhere. He thinks he finally may have found his people in the student newspaper, but it’s rather transparent that their interest in him is in part because they need a Black journalist to legitimize their reporting on the drama over at Armstrong-Parker.
Lots of familiar faces here. Tessa Thompson brings an understated quality to Sam. Even as she makes inflammatory remarks and presents her incredibly pointed short films to her white classmates, she does it in a softspoken manner, which is an interesting choice. Coco is a very different sort of role for Teyonah Parris than I’ve seen from her before, but she’s great—constantly precise, prissy, and calculating. Tyler James Williams is so grounded and honest as Lionel, who’s maybe the strongest viewpoint character in the film. I’m not familiar with Brandon Bell, but he does a nice job with Troy’s whole “conflicted golden boy” vibe. The movie also features Dennis Haysbert, Malcolm Barrett (Lem from Better Off Ted!), and Kyle Gallner (like Thompson, an alum of Veronica Mars, where he played Beaver.)
Warnings
Language (including the N-word and homophobic slurs,) sexual references, drinking/drug use, scenes of violence, and strong thematic elements.
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