Singled out as one of her favorite performances by Meryl Streep in her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes for THE IRON LADY, Adepero Oduye definitely deserves the shout-out for her nuanced portrayal of a Black female teenager coming of age brazening parental disappointment and betrayal in Dee Rees' perceptive directorial debut.

“I’m not running. I’m choosing…I am not broken. I am free”

Beautifully shot and acted film about a Black teenage girl exploring her sexuality and her gender expression in spite of those around her. Amazing performances from Adepero Oduye and Kim Wayans. This is one of those films that should get more love from the LGBTQ community, but much like other films that center the Black queer experience, like Moonlight and The Watermelon Woman, it's often times ignored, which is a shame.

Every once in a while, you come across a film that feels less like a movie and more like someone's story; Pariah is a great example of that. It is an amazing film that shines a spotlight on many of the struggles that LGBTQ+ teens and LGBTQ+ people in general face. This entire cast does an incredible job delivering exceptionally authentic performances. Speaking of authenticity, the camerawork gives the film a very real feel. On top of that, the dialogue feels organic and the top-notch performances contribute to that. It is clear that writer/director Dee Rees is a talent. As I mentioned, Pariah feels less like a movie and more like someone's story. What I mean by that is it doesn't feel like an artificial narrative that someone created; instead it feels like an experience that many teens have had to endure and, sadly, that is true. Pariah isn't just a great film, it is an important film. It's a film that highlights just how horrible and destructive homophobia is.

Pariah is the story of a young black lesbian. I really enjoyed the movie. Ms. Oduye gave a very nuanced and subtle performance in her role. Also, it was interesting to contrast the story of Alike to that of her friend. This is a story that needed to be told. Recommended!

Alors que cela aurait pu être un film de niche, Pariah est un petit coup de maître réalisé par Dee Rees pour son premier long métrage. Coming-of-age d'une fille LGBT de Brooklyn de nos jours, Pariah est un film remarquable, dirigé avec talent et acuité par Dee Rees, porté par une interprétation formidable de l'actrice principale, Adepero Oduye et qui a la bonne idée de faire tout en moins de 90 minutes. Avec des personnages particulièrement bien ficelés et complexes (Kim Wayans & Charles Parnell sont formidables) et quelques séquences admirablement bien rythmées, Pariah est un film tour-à-tour drôle, déchirant, touchant et surtout franchement réaliste. Sacrée réussite.

An absolute must see indeed. We get to see a brief yet very meaningful moment of Alike's life, her time of choosing as she puts it, going through different times in her family but most importantly having to deal with being yourself in a place where you're constantly reminded that you can't and when you you should be left out, treated and turned into a "pariah". The movie has its own pace and rhythm that work perfectly and flawlessly in sending back the message of what's happening both inside and outside of Alike. I cannot stress enough how more movies like this are to be shared and rewarded, especially on the diversity point of view, the world is so much more than what we get to see too often on these screens and "Pariah" reminds you of that, it allows you to see more. Stay strong to every Alike out there!

Pariah reminds me a lot of Moonlight, but with actors who aren’t as good and without the interesting 3-act structure. Pariah is a coming-of-age drama about a young African-American girl who is exploring her lesbian sexuality. Naturally, her family isn’t exactly approving, so she must be secretive about it and spend time with the right people. It’s a slice-of-life style of film, but that slice isn’t the most pleasant or enjoyable. It’s a tough film to watch, because Alike’s life isn’t easy. There were a couple of scenes that impressed me, and in those moments I was almost brought to tears. So some of the emotion in the film is effective. There’s nothing bad about Pariah, but there is little that is impressive either. As a result, I kept thinking it was just OK. Considering there have been better movies made about this kind of teenage sexual discovery, I don’t know if this one does enough to set itself apart. So, I’ll just point out almost everything that happens in this film is exactly what you’d expect, so if that type of story appeals to you then I’d definitely recommend Pariah.

An incredibly moving debut from Dee Rees, deep storytelling seems to come to her as naturally as her gorgeous visuals.

Deeply moving coming-out film about a 17 year old African-American woman, trying to reconcile what her parents want for her, what she wants, and how she can balance her life.

Beautiful movie, showing first loves, the pain comes with it, and all of that with the backdrop of a family who has a hard time coming to terms with their lesbian daughter.

Brilliant and beautiful movie. Adepero Oduye is amazing. Great job by Director and Writer Dee Rees.

An incredible and commanding performance by Adepero Oduye makes this little indie movie a must see.

this movie is really good especially whenni saw that cute lightskin chick I almost fell out lol but it was really good I enjoyed the movie

Pariah by Dee Rees: What a movie!! Powerful and Painful! Loving and Free! These closing words by the main character (Alike Freeman, eloquently played by Adepero Oduye), say it all: Heartbreak opens onto the sunrise. For even breaking is opening. And I am broken. I'm open. Broken to the new light without, pushing in. Open to the possibilities within, pushing out. See the love shine in through my cracks. See the light shine out through me. I am broken! I am open! I'm broken, open! See the love light shining through me: shining through my cracks; through the gaps. My spirit takes journey. My spirit takes flight. Cannot have risen otherwise. And I am not running; I am choosing. Running is not a choice, from the breaking. Breaking is freeing. Broken is freedom. I am not broken. I am free!

indie slice of life movie that is quite engaging. it falters some near the end and I didn't like how her straight friend used her. other than that it was worth watching

This film is not perfect, but it is honest and earnest.

A really powerful movie about a high school student who is a lesbian, and lives at home with her ultra conservative parents. Such a beautiful movie chronicling the adversity that this young woman goes through in her own family. A great movie.

Alike's smile could stretch from California to Florida. It's a grin so infectious that you would never guess that, underneath her bubbliness, is a great deal of hurt. She is a lesbian, and has known so for years, but is afraid to admit it, both to herself and her dysfunctional family. Alike is only able to act like herself around her best friend Laura (Pernell Walker), who is openly gay, extroverted, and unafraid to speak her mind. She idolizes how comfortable Laura is in her own skin, but isn't so sure that her personal dream to be who she really is will ever become reality. It's understandable. Everyone around Alike is aware of her sexual orientation, but they aren't overt about it. Her parents, grumpy policeman Arthur (Charles Parnell) and the conservative Audrey (Kim Wayans), have put two and two together, but uttering the eventual four might cause an eruption of disbelief. Alike wants to break free from the clutches of the closet she is shackled to, and "Pariah" is a snapshot of that prison break. With her 4.0 GPA and stirring demeanor, she will, no doubt, succeed in life - yet this small window of her 18th year feels like an eternity to this charismatic young woman. "Pariah" is a coming-of-age story of sorts, but unlike its sappy peers it has something real, something rousing. Its story could be applied to anyone's life, regardless of sexuality, because it is a film that magnifies that awkward transition in high school where the kid starts to realize that their adult wings are sprouting while their parents, in denial, want to clip them so they can have their precious baby safely in their nest for just a few more years. In Alike's (pronounced ah-lee-kay) case, that evolution is infinitely more dramatic. She is close to becoming the woman she's always wanted to be, but in order to do so she must come out to her friends and family. It could destroy the comfortable repression that hangs over her life, but if she doesn't, she'll be someone else's version of Alike while the real one is confined to a psychological jail cell. Dee Rees, in her directorial debut, handles "Pariah" with sensitivity and a strong sense of affection that makes us care deeply about Alike's struggle with her identity. It's a semi-autobiographical work for Rees, and the result is something even more intimate than the best of memoirs. The film is directed with a flair for color and soul, accenting its walls with flavorful music and ripening the developments of its characters by giving us a chance to get to know them individually. Alike's story resonates with such power because Rees takes the time to study the people she will eventually come out to, spending scenes with them so that we can consider their ticks, their neuroses. If it were made by another filmmaker, perhaps Alike's parents would come across as the typical over-reactionary adults that befall movies with a similar premise. Not here. Rees is so delicate with her characters that even the harshest of a reaction rings with sympathy because we know, and, more importantly, understand, the reason for it. But of course, "Pariah"'s tearjerking sensibilities wouldn't have the same potency without Adepero Oduye, who portrays Alike with virulent sweetness. Subjects of a coming-of-age film frequently flutter about in copycatted air, slightly awkward, needing an adult for guidance. Oduye, though, isn't an ordinary actress, and "Pariah" isn't an ordinary film. As Alike, authenticity comes naturally; she is not so much acting here and she is becoming her character. There isn't a need for an Oscar-begging freakout to prove just how wonderful of a performance this is: Oduye's painless likability makes the urgency of Alike's dilemma all the more heartrending. When she experiences her first heartbreak, we cry with her. When she gets accepted into a prestigious college program, we cheer with her. "Pariah" is moving in a number of ways; few films are as ardent as this one.

Although it adheres to the formula that comes with its genre, "Pariah" is a compelling and necessary study of a black, gay woman having to fight against prejudice to find happiness and acceptance.