2022 Entry #019 02-01-22 “Pariah” is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by Dee Rees (“Empire”, “When We Rise”). It tells the story of Alike (Adepero Oduye), a 17-year-old Black teenager embracing her identity as a lesbian. The film is a feature-length expansion of writer/director Dee Rees’ award-winning 2007 short film of the same name, which unfortunately I don’t have (yet). Spike Lee was one of the executive producers & filming took place in and around New York City, predominantly in the Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn. The movie premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the Excellence in Cinematography Award.
This film hit me so hard! This is the power of cinema and empathy. The brutality in being denied by those closest to you – even lovers who can’t face who they are – is a universal story that I’m sure resonates with many people. I know it did for me. I wept during this film. I have no complaints about this film. Highly recommended!
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 114 reviews, with an average rating of 7.87/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “Pulsing with authenticity and led by a stirring lead performance from Adepero Oduye, Pariah is a powerful coming out/coming-of-age film that signals the arrival of a fresh new talent in writer/director Dee Rees.”
Incidentally, the first thing that I saw Adepero Oduye in was the Marvel Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” in which she played Sarah Wilson, Sam / The Falcon’s sister, and I loved her in that also.