Spoilers for ending
“Pariah” (2011) is a coming of age film that follows a Black teenager, Alike Freeman, through her coming of age journey as a butch lesbian. Diverse queer stories are especially important because LGBTQ+ people aren’t going anywhere. In times like this, the community needs support more than ever, and this film is a perfect watch for Black History Month.
This film is a realistic depiction of what it is like to be a queer person. It shows Alike’s family dynamic with her little sister, her mom and dad. Alike’s parents have a strained relationship, and her own relationship with her parents differs based on who she is with. Her very Christian mother forces her to conform to feminine gender roles, whereas around her dad, she can actually be her authentic self.
Throughout the film, Alike codeswitches and shifts presentation around her family. She remains in the closet when in a family setting, forced to wear feminine clothing by her mother when going to places like church. But at school, she has the liberty to wear more masculine clothes and be more open with her presentation.
It’s through her friend Laura that she gets to explore her queer identity. Laura is her butch lesbian friend that is more experienced with being openly queer. Laura was kicked out of her house by her mother because of her sexual identity. Alike’s mother doesn’t like Laura because she believes Laura is a bad influence on Alike. Laura takes Alike out to gay clubs and encourages her to express herself truthfully.
Alike is introduced to a new friend, Bina, by her mother at church. Her mother pushes Alike to make new friends because she doesn’t want Alike hanging out with Laura. She also doesn’t want her daughter to be queer. She believes that Bina will be a good influence on Alike.
At first, Alike is hesitant to be friends with Bina, but overtime, they grow closer. As their relationship progresses, it becomes undeniably homoerotic, and while Alike embraced the feelings that arose, Bina denied her queerness, thus hurting Alike’s feelings.
This movie tells a story with the use of color. The film has beautiful hues of blue, green, purple and yellow. These colors not only complement the actors’ darker skin tones, but also paint their moods. For most of the movie, the film is set in a blue, green and red hues to show Alike’s emotions and how tough it is to grow up. At the end, when she admits to being a lesbian, the film changes to a yellow hue showing that she is happy with herself and the freedom of being out.
Despite the major falling out with her mother, Alike stands proud and still attempts to reconcile with her family. It is her father who accepts Alike for who she is, and it is he who Alike asks to pass on a message to her mother. The message reiterates Alike’s mother’s words from earlier in the film: “God doesn’t make mistakes.”
Verdict: This film is more than a coming of age film, it’s a film about radical self acceptance.
