You People Movie Review
Nathan Swank
January 20th, 2023
YOU PEOPLE has all the ingredients for a great comedy. Starring Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, what could miss with three of the funniest people to ever grace the screen? It’s also written by Jonah Hill and director Kenya Barris, the creator of Blackish. The film has a great opportunity to find fresh and clever observations and commentary about family prejudices in a racially mixed couple relationship. So why was this film so stereotypical in it not only the jokes but its commentary in perhaps the most unfunny way possible?
Netflix was wise to air possibly the funniest scene in the film in one of their scene playing trailers, because there is nothing outside of that. Early in the film Ezra (Hill) is with his family in Synagogue when his mom (Louis-Dreyfus) notices her son is not wearing his kippah or yarmulke, the Jewish head covering for males in prayer. The whole exchange between Ezra, his mom, his dad (David Duchovny), his sister (Molly Gordon) and his grandmother (Rhea Pearlman) is hilarious. Likewise the interactions after church are fairly funny too. Ezra begins a relationship with Amira (Lauren London) with an overprotective father (Murphy), her mom (Nia Long) who is given very little to do, and her brother (Travis Bennett). Honestly, it felt like Amira’s family is unfortunately given far less to work with and even stereotyped upon a movie trying to comment about not stereotyping. The overall theme in believing in love despite background and cultural differences falls flat without much chemistry between the two leads. I honestly wish more time was given to Ezra’s podcast partner Mo (Sam Jay) who brought some of the more funny and insightful observations.
A dinner table scene with both families was prime for some great humor and instead we get basic jokes about saying the wrong thing while disrespecting heritage that eventually turns into an accidental fire from a candle. The whole interaction reminded me of something I wrote in my first playwriting class in college. My paper was rightfully critiqued as being like a “bad sitcom.” That’s exactly what YOU PEOPLE felt like, a bad sitcom from the early 90’s and my own failed attempt in an early college course.
The soundtrack helps lift some of the energy, but future father-in-law trying to ruin the fun by tagging along on Ezra’s coke-filled bachelor party to Vegas, is way out of place and a great way to make both characters unsympathetic. YOU PEOPLE has some great talent behind it and a few humorous moments. But this comedy mostly plays it safe and is rather boring. With so much potential, YOU PEOPLE is truly disappointing. But even without the disappointment, it’s just not good.
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