“You People,” directed by Kenya Barris, is a movie about an interracial couple trying to find a common ground between their families.
You can stream “You People” on Netflix.
Ezra, a 35-year-old Jewish man, played by Jonah Hill, accidentally starts a relationship with Amira, played by Lauren London, by entering her vehicle.
The movie navigates the ups and downs of being an interracial couple, with parents who aren’t on board with the religious differences and the physical differences. Amira’s father, Akbar, played by Eddie Murphy, is a strict muslim man who always envisioned a specific future for his daughter, which didn’t include a jewish man as a son-in-law. Ezra’s mother, Shelley, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, loved Amira, but it was for the wrong reasons.
Amira is a black muslim woman trying to make it as a fashion designer in Los Angeles, while Ezra is working an office job. However, Amira convinces him to pursue his podcast dreams with his best friend, Mo.
Throughout the film, Akbar tests Ezra’s love for his daughter. From taking him to a black barbershop, to taking him to a basketball court and even showing up on his bachelor’s trip, he didn’t give him a break. Along with this, Shelley made several offensive comments that she may not have been aware of. On several occasions, she expressed her excitement to finally have mixed grandchildren and a Black daughter-in-law.
Denali Floyd, an up and coming movie critic, hated the structure and format of the film in its entirety. “It’s another attempt at directors trying to force a race conversation that they themselves aren’t ready to have,” Floyd said.
The film showed just how hard it is to navigate not only an interracial relationship, but a religiously opposing culture. Each scene in the movie dissects aspects of these relationships that are difficult conversations to have in real life, let alone a movie. However many of the scenes are unbelievable, and the relationship doesn’t feel natural or real until an argument occurs.
The only scene that feels organic is when Amira and Ezra are in the bedroom and they begin to argue about religious preferences. It was only a matter of time for them to have this conversation about future plans. The acting felt mediocre and unrealistic in many scenes, especially the ending where the parents own up to their mistakes and magically plan a whole wedding.
As a lover of all things romantic-comedy and wanting a happy ending with every love story, I believe that this was not the right way to end it. Kenya Barris not only forced the ideology that relationships like this are unimaginable, but a fairytale and a dream. The best aspect of this movie was the top of the line celebrities, but even that is not enough to make this more than a one time watch.
If you’re looking for an unrealistic movie to waste your time, this is a great option. If you’re looking for a movie to help you understand how to navigate race, culture, and religion in a relationship, this is still not the right movie for you.