‘You People’ Ends Softer Than It Starts, But Still Makes for an Enjoyable Watch

Ezra (Jonah Hill) is a Jewish white dude who works in finance and hosts a podcast with his best friend Mo (Sam Jay) on the side. Amira (Lauren London) is a Muslim Black costume designer with dreams of becoming a stylist. Leaving work, Ezra accidentally gets into the back of Amira’s car after mistaking her for an Uber driver. At first, Amira thinks Ezra is just another white guy that thinks all Black people look alike until she realizes that the Uber driver does look just like her. From this mistaken identity meet-cute, we enter a story of two people from different cultures trying to navigate their new relationships while striving to gain the approval of their families.

The film hails from a line of romantic comedies in the same vein. The first that comes to mind is the 1967 romantic-comedy-drama Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner starring Sidney Poitier, which centers around a young white woman who brings her fiancé home to meet her family. This film was groundbreaking because interracial marriage was a controversial and taboo subject, and through the film, issues of race and prejudice arose. It was one of, if not the first, Hollywood film to tackle that subject in a lighthearted way that assisted in breaking down such a heavy topic. It paved the way for more diverse and inclusive representation in the industry.

Later in 2005, the late Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher, and Zoë Saldaña starred in the remake, Guess Who. In that film, Theresa (Saldaña) brings home her boyfriend Simon (Kutcher) to surprise her family with their engagement. But they don’t discover, until his arrival, that he’s white. So while the film You People is nestled somewhere among these others, it doesn’t quite stick its landing like its predecessors.

First things first, London and Hill make for the cutest and most realistic couple. In fact, I wish I had had more of their relationship in the film. It’s normal for couples to be overtly compassionate and touchy-feely in romantic comedies, but I found their toned-down affection more authentic and sweet. One of my favorite scenes was when Hill comes home from the waffle house lunch scene (as seen in the trailer). He enters, and London closes the door behind him and — locks it. It’s the details, people. How many films have we seen where people go into their homes without locking doors? It’s a small moment, but it adds to the authenticity of the film, which aids in relatability.

Above anything else, the movie is funny, thanks to the impeccable cast. You’d expect nothing less with Kenya Barris and Hill teaming up on the screenplay. Comedic veterans Eddie Murphy and Julia Louis-Dreyfus head up most of the big funny moments, and the rest of the cast fill in the rest. Murphy plays it straight, similar to Robert Dinero’s character in Meet the Parents. While Dreyfus’ issue hinges on her overcompensating wokeness that treats Amira like a science project instead of a human being.

The first hour of the film seems to flow without a hitch, but it takes a detour into bachelor and bachelorette scenes that could’ve been completely cut out or swapped for more family time or cozy couple scenes with London and Hill. It would’ve been nice to see more of how the cultures clash instead of what sometimes felt like bickering.

You People makes a case for Hill to be seen in more romantic comedies in the future. Who wouldn’t want a boo like Ezra? The rom-com didn’t add anything new to the conversation of interracial dating or culture clash, but it didn’t need to. I doubt many would watch the film and feel like they wasted time. It’s a good cast, with a lot of jokes and tender moments.

You People is now streaming on Netflix.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars