This LA-set romcom could've felt one-note around its concept of commenting on contemporary race relations, but the cast raises it up a notch with very funny results.
You People -- cowritten by director Barris and star Hill -- tries to find the irony in all of its characters, from bee-pollen-drinking millennials in gentrified cafes to a converted Black Muslim's preciousness about a Louis Farrakhan-gifted kufi, to a discussion of "Holocaust-ing down" a small wedding ring to imbue it with more significance. Hill and London make a cute couple, but it's Murphy and Louis-Dreyfus, as the militant dad and overly-eager Jewish mom, who really drive the story.
How this film's humor lands could depend on the viewer's willingness to laugh at sensitive topics and stereotypes, and the plot might not have much draw beyond domestic audiences. But it offers plenty of dialogues and situations that comically and sometimes insightfully consider why race relations can be so tricky even when intentions are good -- and also when they're not.
Not every scene hits its mark, and some characters feel superfluous (Duchovny and Long go underused; blink and you'll miss Rhea Perlman and Elliot Gould, among other cameos).
With a pumping soundtrack and lots of local B-roll, the film also offers an affectionate rendering of contemporary Los Angeles.
Read the full review at Common Sense Media.
Images courtesy of Netflix.
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