User reviews

Menippian and Juvenalian satire are at the forefront here. There's no comedy, there's just a message. Unfortunately, today, people have allowed this satirical work to become reality. Set at a prestigious Ivy League school outside of Chicago proper, "Dear White People" takes so much time on the inherent differences between black and white people, that it takes no real time or consideration to realize that it's the American culture that binds everyone together. It's not a bad film, and my opinion of it has grown for the better over time because it must be taken as a satire instead of a message. Obviously the filmmakers have it in mind that one particular group is the enemy, when the reality is that the far left politics are used to brainwash extremely smart and talented minds.

I saw this movie after watching the first, brilliant season of the TV series it spawned, and that makes it difficult to review. Because the TV series is so brilliant, so funny, so nuanced, and so well structured, I can't help but see the movie as a dress rehearsal for what was to come. Would I have enjoyed this movie more had I seen it first? Very possibly.

The movie follows a whole bunch of characters as they deal with issues around race, with black characters ranging from revolutionaries to blend-inners and white characters ranging from supportive to racist to really, really racist.

The movie is hugely ambitious, and director Justin Simien wants to squeeze in every idea he's ever had about race into this movie. Unfortunately, the result often feels overstuffed, with too many characters and too many ideas packed into too little space.

Clearly, Simien needed a TV series. In that, he takes the same ideas and is able to fully explore each one and each character, in wonderful detail.

The movie is certainly well worth seeing, but unlike the TV series, I wouldn't call this essential viewing.

I am glad that this film addresses the important issue of racism on college campuses, and I have no disagreement with its political or social justice messages. Any sincere attempt by a filmmaker to make these experiences visible to the broader public is a good thing.

As a white educator who actually attended and later taught at top- tier colleges, I had been looking forward to experiencing a new sharp creative critique of American racism on college campuses as promised by the film's trailer.

This film utterly failed in its attempts to entertain or provoke. It did not provide me even with the typical pleasures of cinema, let alone fresh insight into its subject. It was little more than a leaden slow-moving soap opera with a contrived plot, oddly dressed characters and unconvincing dialogue. In my experience of elite campuses, it is the rare Ivy student (of any race) who routinely dresses like a junior business executive and uses this sort of pretentious speech pattern. Watching this film was like watching a Western in which all the characters had British accents and wore kimonos.

For readers who seek moving and insightful films on racism, I highly recommend Spike Lee "joints" which provide viewers with superior entertainment, dialogue, characters, plot, provocation and insight.

I was first exposed to Dear White People by its trailer. The trailer was so promising it put the movie to a much higher level of expectation than it actually is so it could have only been a slight disappoint. The film is smart, punchy, and funny, for a film about racism and racial tensions.

The preppy college setting screams for an amazing story about racial tensions and racism. The black characters that the film follows - Coco the girl who wants to be white, Lionel the awkward gay guy that doesn't quite fit in, Troy who fits in but isn't quite himself, and the infamous Sam who is basically a modern day activist with a secret boyfriend - are actually good archetypes of nowadays college educated black people because they are all unique if not for the color of their skin.

With this basis Simien delivered an interesting film about racial tensions between blacks and whites without shaming or blaming one of the two parties involved. But the film sort of feels like a fluff piece that didn't really dive deep into the subject. The white characters are mostly stereotypical, they are the same to be honest, arrogant, and entitled. The film quickly becomes more about about finding one's identity and western society in general than racial tensions. Maybe, that's the point, one of the message behind it is that racial tensions stems from the way our society is, with whites liking the black cultures but not its people? I don't really know but at least Dear White People is a good conversation starter.

As for the actors, I mean the ones with layers to their characters, they gave a stellar performance. Tessa Thompson portrayed a riveting Sam with talent, wit and insolence. And Tyler James Williams was probably the easiest character to relate to, he likes what he likes and doesn't try to change who he is.

For a first film Dear White People is interesting and if the trailer hadn't been so good I probably would have been in awe after watching it. @wornoutspines

The film is essentially one big soapbox and dropped the ball many times and in many different ways.

I want to talk about the positives first and the reason(s) the film is definitely worth watching: I was really impressed with the production value, the acting (most of it) and the humour. I think Teyonah Parris deserves special mention because she was the character I most empathised with simply because she was the only one looking at things from both angles. Tyler James Williams also stood out due to his humour and commitment to his role.

Keeping in mind that a person (or persons) wrote this script with the intention of instigating discussion about the issues raised, I think it's only fair to discuss those issues in reviews especially as some of the commentary affected my enjoyment of the film.

Obviously the film deals with more substantial issues but those applied (mainly) to the USA so to address a few lesser issues: Hair. This subject grates a little (/a lot) for me because I've never heard white people make comments about black hair. Again, this might be a bigger, more well-known topic in the US but here in the UK, I don't think anyone has ever looked twice at a black person's hair. The obsession appears to lie with black (USA) people, not with white people. What is the problem with someone touching your hair? I had a fringe cut in a few months back and people touched it and made comments. When I have my hair curly, people touch it and make nice comments. It might be annoying for you but hair isn't a race issue, it's a hair issue and anyone who focuses on this 'issue' needs to get over it. When Teyonah's character expressed annoyance with being asked if she 'weaved' her hair, I couldn't help but wonder why that was a problem. First of all, how many people say 'Google it'? We make verbs out of nouns all the time and the fact that her white friend asked if it was her own hair, instead of assuming that it wasn't, actually says a lot. Women discuss hair. White women ask each other if they have extensions, if they've had plastic surgery etc. and so for anyone to be annoyed at being asked if they are wearing a weave actually highlights how insecure they are. Not every question or action by a white person is about race. Sometimes it's genuinely about curiosity and taking interest in another person. If you are so touchy about every subject, white people will not want to talk to you for fear of offending you, not because they are racist.

There were other bits of commentary that I took issue with but I don't want my review to turn into a soapbox, so I'll move on to the main gripes I had with the film: When Tessa's character stated that it wasn't possible for black people to be racist, the film lost all credibility. The definition of 'racist' is not up for debate. We have dictionaries to clarify and after consulting one, there is absolutely no mention that in addition to holding the belief that one race is superior to another "the race believed to be inferior must also be negatively affected in some way". It is indeed possible for a black person to hold the belief that one race is better than another which would in fact, make them a racist. How their racist beliefs affect the race they believe to be inferior is irrelevant to the fact that they would be considered racist.

Finally, I disagree that white people dressing up as black people (make-up and all) is (always) the same thing as 'blackface' and I think the more that people focus on these scenarios as opposed to the real blackface which goes on in the industry, the more that film makers will get away with continuing the real tradition of blackface right under everyone's noses.

It's all about intention. Going to a party and dressing as your idol, make-up and all, is flattering and should be encouraged. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look like someone you idolise and when white people are accused of being racist for donning an afro wig and make-up, all that happens is that white people try to isolate themselves from 'ethnic' people to avoid being accused of racism.

The party in the film however, was 100% racist and offensive because the invitation was decidedly unflattering and had nothing to do with celebrating black people.

True blackface is about 'presenting an acceptable image of black people to the world'. Which is interesting when you consider that the main protagonist of this film is mixed-race. It appears that the lead role was written in such a way that allowed the casting of a light skinned woman when it could just as easily have been written in a way that would allow for a dark skinned woman to make all the same points. Casting a light skinned actress to play a dark skinned black woman, is blackface. Especially considering that they will likely apply dark make-up to her skin. Casting a white woman to play a dark skinned Latin-American woman is in the spirit of blackface. Every time a white or light skinned person is given the role of someone who 'should' be darker, that is blackface.

It's not about the make-up. It's about why you're wearing the make-up and any film which tries to hammer home a point about racism using the controversial theme of blackface, while casting a light skinned woman in the leading role, loses a few stars on IMDb for the sheer hypocrisy.

6/10 (it's good entertainment but the message is a bit off)

Actually, I don't understand this film, I mean the story, what it intended to tell us. Maybe it's for Americans only. I thought it could be some underrated cool comedy, but what I just saw was definitely not expected. I kind of felt it was a student politics and if it stayed like that way I would have had no problem. But they said it is a comedy and I did not get any, in between it became a racism thing. I never understood this American racism, why they're making it so complicated. Especially the condition of the US is not looking good right now and this film pours a more oil to it. I'm neither white nor black or an American, and sorry I did not find it a good film. Even more, I don't get, how a television series is getting ready to follow-up it. So no offense for those who liked it, seems I'm in a wrong place. I just rated and reviewed what I felt it deserves, other than that I'm not against the film. I'm out of here!

3/10

I give this movie an 8. It is funny, but can be uncomfortable at times. Its a movie I do not expect everybody to get. Like Spike Lee's do the right thing, It will make some feel uncomfortable and immediately go on the defense- which in turn makes them not appreciate the comedy the writing, the cast or the message.

This movie shows real people, real thoughts, real characters. It not glossed over , sugar coated characters ( nor extremist).

The movie offers different view points on what it is like to be a black person in this suppose to be "post racial" country that we live in.

I would give it a look, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie!

I watched,with great pain,the pitifully biased and nonsensical film that attempted to elevate the discourse on real racism and its presence in our world. Well funded and full of passion,it simply shows whites as the worst people,ever. The black people in the film,ironically,came off just one half a notch less awful. Im a glass half full type,so I have more optimism than the cynic that penned this thing,but the answer to this problem is NOT to write a film that portrays whites as whiskey drinking KKK types with greasy hair and hate in their hearts. The only answer is truth. Pursue it. This is NOT the truth. Just a slant.

"Might I also remind you that I read your entire fifteen-page unsolicited treatise on why the Gremlins is actually about suburban white fear of black culture."

There is a moment in Justin Simien's feature debut, Dear White People, where the President of a fictional Ivy League college tells one of his students that racism is over in America. Simian makes it clear through this witty and satirical film that it's far from true. Now before you stop reading and discard this film as yet another preachy and formulaic film focusing on racism, I want to say that this film is completely unique and original. There are different view points presented in Dear White People and very sharp dialogues, but Simien never takes sides on the issue and lets the audience make their own conclusions. There are four distinct characters in the film and they each have their own personal opinions about racism and view it differently. The way they interact with each other and discuss their differing opinions is what gives this film a life of its own and a unique feeling to it. My only complaint is that there is a lot of different things going on and everything seems rushed (the script was originally over 200 pages long).

Dear White People is a stylish film with clever satire and some fun and memorable characters. The story is fictional, but the plot takes several elements from a real life party that took place at the University of California, San Diego in 2010 where one African American ran the event, but it was attended by predominantly white students. In Dear White People the controversy centers on a black-face party that takes place in an Ivy League college (Winchester University) which is thrown by white students. The film then jumps back five weeks to explore the events that led to the party and that is where we are introduced to Samantha (Tessa Thompson), a student hosting a radio show on campus titled "Dear White People." She surprisingly becomes president of a mostly black residential hall, beating the former president who's the Student Dean's son, Troy (Brand Bell). She is against the new university policy of diversification of the residential halls and wants to keep the house exclusive for black students considering they are a minority on campus. The other two main characters we are introduced to are Coco (Teyonah Parris) who believes she has more in common with the white students and is obsessed with becoming famous, and Lionel (Tyler James Williams) who is sort of an outcast writer who hasn't found his place in the school. They are four clearly distinct characters who are trying to pave their way in college. The film focuses on the interactions they have with each other and their different views towards racism.

Tessa Thompson is the heart and soul of this film as the rebellious student who is always delivering clever lines in her radio show. Tyler James Williams delivers some of the funnier moments while Brand Bell has the more dramatic scenes as he shares some intense scenes with his father played by Dennis Haysbert. Teyonah Parris does a fine job balancing the drama and humor. What all these characters seem to have in common despite their different views is that they are hiding who they really are. They are afraid to simply be who they are because they feel they have a reputation or code to live by. Somewhere in their struggle to figure out how to live and fit into their groups they have lost their own personal identity. This is one of those films that can be studied in class and generate a lot of different conversations about the issues of race because it never takes a clear side.

There are plenty of other black films out there that really entertain and sometimes make a point about race perceptions and relations. (see last paragraph)

The filmmakers scripted a real life situation, A racial Halloween Party in Texas...how boring can you get. Whites in black face... zzzzz..huh, oh I fell asleep. Why make a movie about one incidence of jerky white guys.

Then the movie turns into a black Dinner with White People where people chat on and on.

If you are into b/w dialogue just listen to the audio. Nothing to see here except a few very hot sorority girls. The filmmakers must have said, 'let's bring in comments on 'the weave'. Sorry Chris Rock did an entire documentary and it was great.

Was Dear White People a class project? What was the point. "Hey some fraternity dudes can be assholes." Big surprise.

Rent Hollywood Shuffle by Robert Townsend and then check out the reset of his film. He is good.

A small group of black students at a majority white Ivy League school try to find their place and fight for their identity in this quite intelligent little comedy. Tessa Thompson, as the biracial hostess of the titular radio show, which stirs up a lot of turmoil on campus, and Tyler James Williams, as a homosexual black student who feels he doesn't fit in with the rest of the African American students, are the standouts, but the whole cast is excellent (Dennis Haybert is the most recognizable face here). The issues here are very complex, and Simien weaves an appropriately complex story filled with strong characters (except for perhaps the main white villain, Kyle Gallner, and the bland, nice white boy Thompson is sexually involved with secretly, Justin Dobies). It doesn't quite gel into something as strong as it could be, but its ambition certainly puts Mr. Simien on the list of directors (and writers; obviously this is an original screenplay by him) to watch. I'm fairly confident he'll make even better films in the future.

Racism is alive and well in America & Dear White People gives us all the examples. Not just the obvious tension from black people tired of whites exploiting their culture & whites tired if blacks giving them a hard time about it, but racism within the shades of black and homophobia in the black community.

An update on Spike Lee's School Daze, the movie follows four black college students: A minority within the minority trying to fit in anywhere. A media studies student using the radio to voice her opinions. A son being put under too much pressure by his father to be the best of the best. And a little black girl trying to escape the label of little black girl.

Being sold as a look at Obama era racism, I realize that this is a note on how nothing has really change even with Obama in office. The movie brings humor to an uneasy category which is good because the issues in the movie should freely be address if change is ever going to happen.

Justin Siemen gives us a great story, jumping in on the personal agendas each character is going through. As strange at it may sound the movie made me angry in a good way.

Highly recommended.

Dear White People: A love Letter from Director Justin Simien

Dear White People is Justin Simien's first feature, and he succeeds producing a smart send-up of racial tensions at fictional Winchester University. Individually, the characters seem a bit typical, as if Simien's had to make sure he featured the radical black female, the mixed race characters, the Asian hip-hop student, the radical black man, the racist white cut up (and his side-kicks), the strict black dean who has to fit in and not play the minstrel and his good looking son, the gay black man who doesn't fit in anywhere, etc. However, taken as a whole, we see the purpose of each character; each character represents points in the racial conflict that still exists in the U.S. And we see over time the characters slide out of their roles as they learn they are just roles that society expects them to play.

The film's last third brings all the disparate characters together and works surprisingly well. The middle third of the film features romances that are a forced at times, but these were integral to the finally of the film. Filming romantic scenes is difficult for even veteran directors, let alone a first timer.

The main character is Sam White, a black woman (mixed, actually) who has a campus radio show called "Dear White People." On the show, she dispenses advice for white people; however, the show is ostensibly her observations of race in society written for her fellow black students. Those bits are well written and performed and appear throughout roughly the first two-thirds of the film.

The acting ranges from good to exemplary. Tessa Thompson as Sam has a wonderful voice and acting range, though her face isn't always able to express the range of emotions her voice does. She is one of the most beautiful (by society's standards) people at a very sexy university. Even the dorky looking Tyler James Williams (from Everybody Hates Chris) was adorable as the awkward Lionel. Apparently, you had to send in a portfolio and look sexy to go to Winchester U. Even the white guys are hot: Justin Dobies. By the way Justin, keep the beard.

That leads me to the one downside of the film. It doesn't deal with class or many of the other racially charged issues such as inequality of justice, police brutality, unequal education, etc. It does touch on representations of blacks in the media as a main theme. Moreover, by the end of the movie, it didn't matter. The film was about how so many educated people can be so racially clueless and how we don't and may never have a complete grasp of race in our society. As one black student said about the whitest, most racist campus house: they are the most clueless group of erudites on campus.

Despite not focusing on class, the film cleverly threads questions about race into the film, including:

Can blacks be racist? As Sam said, "Black people can't be racist, for racism is institutional…"

Do whites need black friends to not be racist?

What happens to gay men in black culture?

If you are mixed, are you truly black?

What does it mean to be a real black person and not a "nose job."

After seeing the movie, I more fully understand why a black person might want to go to a historical black college like Spelman.

Rating: Pay Full Price

I was entertained, and I found the characters interesting. The film's last 20 minutes makes up for the lag in the middle. Ms. Thompson is compelling; the camera loves her. Mr. Williams is a bit too much like Chris Rock as a kid until the end of the movie where his character becomes deservingly sympathetic. The film is thoughtful and doesn't stereotype (much) as it displays stereotypes. It shows characters that grow and step out of their self-imposed racial roles. I give the film bonus points for the degree of difficulty of the topic. It was worth seeing "Dear White People" in the theater to hear the audience laugh and clap. Not bad for a debut, Mr. Simien.

Peace, Tex Shelters

I really appreciate the film "Dear White People". After all, few films try to really say much of anything about race and racism. It's a touchy subject so instead of opening up honest dialog, films generally offer bland messages and avoid controversy. However, this film often doesn't mind going into 'dangerous' territory. But, unfortunately, too often the film disappoints when it comes to many of the white characters--characters that often lack the depth of the black characters. In essence, the whites seems like caricatures too much of the time--though the guy playing Sam's boyfriend was an exception.

The film is set at a fictional Ivy League school and centers around various black students and their attempts to find themselves and their voice in this place. Some of these students tend to keep a low profile, some try desperately to fit in with the 'in crowd' (i.e, the popular but racist white kids) and some struggle to stand above the crowd. Sam, in particular, struggles. On one hand, she hosts a controversial show called 'Dear White People' where she addresses race and what black people REALLY think. But, on the other, despite her strong image as a fighter, she is filled with uncertainty and doubts.

I really loved seeing the wide variety of black characters. It provided a rich tapestry and pushed back against common depictions of blacks as a monolithic one-size-fits-all look you often see in films or on television. But this also heightens what doesn't work in the film. While some black characters are bad, some good but mostly they ALL are just trying to fit in and find themselves, almost all the white characters are racists or have no personality at all. Now this isn't entirely bad--after all, the film is about black students and this should be the focus. But too often cartoony whites make it easy to dismiss the film--and it shouldn't be because it does bring up some excellent points and makes you think...or at least it should.

Fascinating and worth seeing.

Writer-Director Justin Simien's debut feature is a whip-smart, intriguing and heartfelt satire on human nature, disguised as a commentary on racial relations in "post-racial" United States. The story follows the lives four individual black kids who are quite different from each other; each of them is guided by their own unique opinions about things, people and life, and their own ambitions. But campus life and experiences clear their mind and change their perspectives. Each of them is struggling with their own issues.

First of all, let me say that the screenplay and cinematography are brilliant; the classic style introductions work to hilarious effect. I really loved the dialogues and the interactions; glad they didn't dumb down the writing. Each of the individuals are portrayed in such unique light.

I have to say, I really liked the style (clothes) of the film as well; it was quite edgy and upbeat, especially the character Sam's. The smart lines she comes up with for the radio show are rib-tickling. The love story between her and Gabe is quite interesting. The scene in which he describes her was quite heartwarming, and makes her realise that he knows her better than she does.

The film is ultimately about the pointlessness of taking sides. In the end, we are who we are; we, as individuals, always don't have to be part of a particular group.

Overall, I just hope people don't take offense to it; it's just a story of human endeavour and self-realization. And college is the best to to figure out such things.

I didn't even finish the movie.

I thought I would give it a chance. I wish I never watched 1 hour of this movie.

First off, it is not funny whatsoever. The dialogue is horrendous, it's really just reference after reference - Exposition after Exposition. The characters are flat. The plot is silly.

The main character is just straight up confusing and unlikeable.

Also, this movie is very racist...against Black people. If a White person would've made this movie, it would have been up there with Birth of a Nation.

Who hyped this movie and thought it was good? It's bad. Very bad. Nothing about this movie is smart, nothing about this movie is funny, nothing about this movie is political and nothing about this movie is Black besides the person who made it and the characters in it.

It could've been really great, but I just found it all a little too... much. Much, as in very overwhelming directing. Something about me really tired me, really wore me out. That's a weird criticism, I'm aware, but that's really why I didn't like it more. it's not bad though, and I appreciate what it set out to do. The acting is generally good too. Despite how I felt about it though, I'm surprised the film didn't gain more traction throughout awards season. Really, I can see why so many people haven't found this all that good (although the issue of it being about what African Americans go through is also a significant factor to take into consideration). overall, I personally wouldn't really recommend it.