on the come up movie review

On the Come Up

I can understand a movie not making logical sense. I can even work through a movie lacking emotional sense too. But I can’t stand a film that feels dishonest or reeks of manipulation. It gives me no pleasure to say this, but actress Sanaa Lathan ’s cliched, visually inert directorial debut “On the Come Up” is both dishonest and manipulative.

The film follows 16-year-old Bri ( Jamila Gray ), living in the fictional inner city of Garden Heights as she pursues her dreams of becoming a famous rapper. For Bri, such lofty goals aren’t beyond the realm of possibility. Rapping is in her blood, and her legendary MC father Lawless was a local sensation with the kind of talent to break through. That is, until he was fatally shot. Now Bri, living with her mother Jay (Lathan), a recovering addict, spends her nights visiting rap battles with her Aunt Pooh (a powerhouse Da’Vine Joy Randolph) in the hopes of being discovered by a record company so she might provide for her family. 

Adapted from The Hate U Give  author Angie Thomas ’ same-titled novel, “On the Come Up” unoriginally hits the beats of other rap battle movies like “ 8 Mile ” and “Hustle & Flow,” but without either of those films’ lived-in feel. Everything in Lathan’s aesthetic vision looks and sounds artificial. The neighborhood of Garden Heights, though often given shoutouts, is rarely experienced and seen; Lathan and her cinematographer Eric Branco (“ The Forty-Year-Old Version ,” “ Clemency ”) rarely opt for an establishing shot. Instead, scenes begin with cars or buses driving into a static shot, leaving us confined within the boundaries of the lens rather than exploring what makes this neighborhood alive. 

Lathan also opts to use Bri’s internal monologue, whereby she rhymes and counts out syllables, as the film’s narration for reasons that aren’t wholly clear. The voiceover adds little grounding to the character—apart from vocalizing her craft—and her internal lines are so basic, they might as well have been lifted from a Dr. Seuss book.  

Despite her immense talent, Bri’s ascent toward stardom isn’t assured. At her white high school, which is supposedly striving for greater diversity, a security guard mistakes her for a drug dealer and body slams her to the ground. With Bri’s mother now laid off, their family struggles to make ends meet. Her first entry to the rap battle ring saw her running away once a rapper started clowning her deceased father. But when she finally wins a battle against the son of her father’s former manager and a successful music kingmaker, Supreme (Cliff “ Method Man ” Smith), her hotheaded aunt spoils her progress by threatening a rival gang with a gun in the rap battle’s parking lot. Bri’s precarious situation forces her to leave her Aunt Pooh’s protection for the riches promised by Supreme.

While “On the Come Up” wants to be about a girl falling into the pernicious clutches of the music business, even that feels hollow, especially when Bri records a hardcore diss track aimed at her local gang. Her friends Malik (the charming Michael Cooper Jr.) and Sonny (the catty Miles Gutierrez-Riley) see her as a sellout trying to get rich off a lifestyle she doesn’t rep. Bri sees no problem with playing the part if it’ll get her paid, mostly because she doesn’t see the dangerous consequences lurking within her actions. 

Bri’s naïveté is the least believable portion of “On the Come Up”; It stretches and distorts reality, and it’s emotionally manipulative. I grew up on the West Side of Chicago. By the age of ten, we knew what piece of the city we called home—both its beauty and its obvious risks. How are we supposed to believe that a 16-year-old girl like Bri, who lost her father to gun violence, isn’t aware of the ramifications of her actions? How is she so blinded to the realities of Garden Heights? “On the Come Up” would rather trade truthfulness for an uplifting Black film about Black people overcoming hardships aimed at white audiences. 

It’s a dated tactic. But that unfortunately makes sense in a movie that references Pandora as a viable streaming app, Soundcloud as a platform used by music managers, and whose entire commentary about institutional violence centers around Trayvon Martin, who while important, is one of many. No attempt is made to update or expand these references in order to make this film speak to now. Instead, an awkward queer love story becomes rushed. 

“On the Come Up” takes the standard path and subsequent turns you expect in a feel-good story, with all of the extraneous subplots inherent in these movies. We even get a final rap battle whose outcome tramples over the pain and trauma separating mother from daughter and friend from friend. Lathan’s film is only a pale imitation of what came before it. But while “On the Come Up” is a major miss, here’s hoping that Lathan returns with a bigger and better directorial effort next time out.

This review was filed from the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10th. “On the Come Up” opens in theaters and premieres on Paramount+ on September 23rd.     

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the  New York Times ,  IndieWire , and  Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the  Los Angeles Times , and  Rolling Stone  about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

• Jamila Gray as Bri
• Da’Vine Joy Randolph as
• Mike Epps as
• Method Man as
• Miles Gutiérrez-Riley as Sonny
• Michael Cooper Jr. as Malik
• Lil Yachty as

Writer (based on the novel by)

• Angie Thomas
• Daniel Wohl

Cinematographer

• Eric Branco
• Sanaa Lathan
• Steven Rosenblum

Writer (additional literary material)

• Zora Howard

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‘On the Come Up’ Review: Battle Rap’s Next Big Thing?

This film adaptation of the Angie Thomas novel follows a teenage rapper with a dream.

• Share full article

By Beandrea July

If you’ve seen “ 8 Mile ” or the more recent cinematic delight “ The Forty-Year-Old Version ” you already know that in a movie with battle rap at the center, the would-be MC with something to prove always chokes in the first battle. “On the Come Up,” the new movie based on the Angie Thomas novel of the same name and directed by Sanaa Lathan, is no different.

Brianna Jackson (Jamila C. Gray), nicknamed Bri and known as Lil’ Law on the mic, freezes in the face of an opponent and spends the rest of the film chasing her titular come up.

The movie seems geared to teenagers in the way that it over explains events and leaves little room for subtext. Yet at the same time, Kay Oyegun’s script often feels out of touch with the way real teenagers actually behave. Bri and her friends Sonny (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) and Malik (Michael Cooper Jr.) seem to always know the most mature things to do and say. And the predictable narrative arc, the happenstance lighting from scene-to-scene and Lathan’s minimalist take on the material all adds up to something you might watch once and promptly forget about.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s performance as Bri’s Aunt and manager Pooh stands out from a crowded ensemble cast of supporting players whose many background stories distract us from connecting with Bri and her family as much as we might like. But even Randolph — and Lathan, who also delivers a solid performance as Bri’s formerly drug-addicted mother Jay — can’t overcome a clunky script that bites off more from the novel than it can properly chew in under two hours.

The real missed opportunity here is making full use of the battle rap scenes that form the spine of the story. Gray as Bri delivers the expletive-free rhymes penned by the real-life rapper Rapsody well enough, but the canned applause baked into the scenes often doesn’t ring true. Bri’s rhymes sound more like spoken word poetry than the no-holds-barred battle rap that the film is continuously saying she, the daughter of a revered slain rapper, has in her DNA.

Yet even with its flaws, the film, by bringing a character like Bri into the cadre of battle rap, is a welcome update to the male bravado types we’re used to seeing dominate the mic. And the lyrics feature a steady stream of word bending metaphors worth savoring:

Cranes in the sky I might a be a little sister Said I might be like Bey’s little sister Goin’ up against a bigger guy but this fight only gonna elevator Elevate her, like Solange, watch me rise To the seat at the table.

In other words, turn on the closed captions.

On the Come Up Rated PG-13 for violence and adult language. Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes. In theaters and streaming on Paramount+ .

‘On the Come Up’ Review: Sanaa Lathan Shines in Her Directorial Debut

Newcomer Jamila C. Gray owns the screen in this sweet-and-sour story of an aspiring teenage rapper.

By Andrew Barker

Andrew Barker

Senior Features Writer

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There has been no shortage of hip-hop star-is-born narratives hitting screens in recent years, but much like hip-hop itself for most of its history, there hasn’t always been a whole lot of space for women. Sanaa Lathan ‘s “ On the Come Up ,” which tracks a teenage girl’s complicated rise through the battle rap circuit to the even more complicated heights of viral stardom, provides a welcome exception to this rule, but fortunately it has a lot more going for it than just that. As frank and tough-minded and as it is warm and sweet, “On the Come Up” is a hugely promising debut from the actor-turned-director.

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Adapted from “The Hate U Give” author Angie Thomas’ second novel, the screenplay sometimes struggles to keep all of its various threads woven together – Bri’s battles with her school district tend to recede from view for long stretches, only to surprise you when they reemerge with force – but Lathan imbues the film with a certain looseness that gives these ebbs and flows the feeling of real life. Subtler moments are given space to breathe, characters are allowed to make mistakes without those mistakes defining their characters, and Lathan’s emphasis on the grey shades within the film’s broader conflicts helps elevate the story above its more formulaic elements. As often happens in these sorts of narratives, Bri is eventually forced to make a choice between careerism and artistic integrity, but even here the film is well attuned to how fine the line can be between selling out and playing the game, and how unpredictable the consequences of either decision can be.

But what really ties “On the Come Up” together is Bri, who always feels like a fully-fleshed character even as she braves these familiar narrative hurdles. She’s neither an uber-confident force-of-nature, nor a “who, me?” wallflower. At times she’s grounded and wise beyond her years, at others she’s naïve and even thoughtless. In other words, she’s definitely 16 years old, and the film is smart about the ways that precocious talent and age-appropriate immaturity can easily coexist. Newcomer Gray does wonderfully in the role, keeping the character’s prickly edges and underlying vulnerability in delicate balance throughout, while tackling the performance scenes like a pro. (Cult hip-hop artist Rapsody penned the film’s rhymes, and she gives us plenty of rewind-worthy lines to digest.)

The acting is inspired all around, from Cooper’s shy, marble-mouthed charm, to Method Man’s surprisingly nuanced take on a music industry hustler – he may be cynical and untrustworthy, but he lets you see exactly where his cold calculation comes from. And yet Lathan saves one of the film’s trickiest roles for herself, bringing both flintiness and sensitivity to a character forced to walk a tightrope between asserting parental authority over her daughter, and winning back her affection after countless mistakes. Lathan has assembled an admirable body of work in the two decades since her breakout in “Love & Basketball,” but between her dual roles here and her recent first Emmy nomination for “Succession,” it feels like the wider industry might finally be starting to recognize the full scope of her talents. If so, it’s long overdue.

Reviewed at Paramount Studios, September 6, 2022. (In Toronto International Film Festival.) MPA rating: PG-13. Running time: 115 MIN.

• Production: A Paramount+ presentation in association with Paramount Players of a State Street Pictures and Temple Hill production. Produced by George Tillman Jr., Robert Teitel, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, Angie Thomas, Timothy M. Bourne. Executive producer: John Fischer.
• Crew: Directed by Sanaa Lathan. Screenplay: Kay Oyegun, based on the novel by Angie Thomas. Camera: Eric Branco. Editor: Steven Rosenblum. Music: Daniel Wohl.
• With: Jamila C. Gray, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Sanaa Lathan, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Lil Yachty, Mike Epps, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Justin Martin, Titus Makin, Michael Cooper Jr., GaTa, Lady London.

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On the Come Up review – reverberates with an authentic voice

On the Come Up has an authentic voice reverberating throughout the picture.

This review of the Paramount+ film On the Come Up does not contain spoilers.

On the Come Up focuses its story on Bri ( Jamila Gray ), an aspiring rapper who lives in the shadow of her dead father. He was a legendary figure around the Garden Heights area. Bri wears his chain daily, her last memory of a great local rapper who died too young. She also carries haunting images of her mother, Jay ( Sanaa Lathan ,  pulling double duty behind the camera), leaving her alone and being controlled by her heroin use. Now clean, Jay has trouble finding work because no one wants to hire her because of her past. The family, including her brother, Trey ( The Rookie’s Titus Makin Jr) , is at risk of becoming homeless. They are behind on their rent, the water is now as cold as an unforgiving world, and the electricity is turned off.

What possibly can a teenage girl do? That’s where her aunt Pooh (a terrific Da’Vine Joy Randolph) comes in. She thinks if Bri can get discovered at the battle, she can get signed to a contract for a lot of money. However, she quit because they attacked her family. Bri, though, rebounds and destroys a rapper who made it, managed by Supreme ( Method Man ), a successful music manager who lives in a fancy white house and has eyes on stealing Pooh’s best chance at leaving her life in Garden Heights behind.

On the Come Up is based on the book by Angie Thomas , who wrote the acclaimed book The Hate U Give , adapted into a well-received film in 2018. Working from an adaptation from Kay Oyegun ( This is Us ), Lathan keeps some of the same themes in Thomas’s work. This is important since the source material is set in the same area of both worlds, Garden Heights. The script is layered with themes of racism, authority overreach, and, most importantly, stereotypes, particularly the forcing of people of color into a typecast box by a lily-white world.

It’s mainly looked at from a mesosystem’s perspective. For example, Bri experiences an assault by school-paid security guards. They overstep their authority by going through her bag. The guards even rip it from her hands and slam her to the ground. The school principal suspends her and all her actions. This includes the school superintendent, whose only interest is protecting themselves from lawsuits. When Supreme uses his position of power to make Bri record a song that will “scare white kid’s parents” into a stereotype that has nothing to do with her experience, the song reverberates around the community. This sparks white parents to demand Bri be given a permanent suspension.

This couples this with some powerful images from Lathan’s lens, one that evokes the type of past that gives you a perspective many are unfamiliar with. There’s an image many may have missed. When Bri runs away from her mother as a small child, she comes upon a mural. If you look closely, it depicts a legend wearing the same chain Bri wore as a teenager. There’s a community shared history, including trauma and oppression. What the script does so well is showing how Bri is informing her rap lyrics. Every time she comes across an experience or observation she appreciates, Oyegun’s writing allows the viewer to, at the very least, learn how she hones her craft. This storytelling device evokes emotions unique to a subculture that many will never understand.

On the Come Up is semi-autobiographical. Thomas draws upon her experiences and dreams of becoming a rapper as a teenager. Anyone looking for this film to be The Hate U Give will notice some significant differences. The latter drew upon a large amount of supercharging emotion because of the raw subject matter. The difference here is that Lathan’s film has a stoic quality of despair. This pairs well with strong performances from Jamilia Gray and Sanaa Lathan. As well as Dolemite Is My Name ‘s Randolph, giving the film’s breakout turn as Pooh. Her spin on the role gives the film the juice it sorely needed.

Where On the Come Up falls short is emphasizing Bri’s lyrics from the source material; it would have worked better if she drew upon multiple experiences that drew outrage from a white community, not just one. This would have been a stronger film if this addition took place throughout the picture. However, the final product is a rousing success, an equivalent to many rags-to-riches tales or nobody-to-somebody films, with the exception here being the grand prize is a young African American woman finding her authentic voice.

Which is worth more than money.

READ – will there be a sequel to On the Come Up ?

READ – where was On the Come Up filmed ?

READ – the ending explained for On the Come Up .

READ – 10 films like On the Come Up.

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What did you think of On the Come Up? Comment below.

You can watch this film with a subscription to Paramount+.

Article by Marc Miller

Marc Miller (also known as M.N. Miller) joined Ready Steady Cut in April 2018 as a Film and TV Critic, publishing over 1,600 articles on the website. Since a young age, Marc dreamed of becoming a legitimate critic and having that famous “Rotten Tomato” approved status – in 2023, he achieved that status.

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• Cast & crew
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On the Come Up

Story centers on 16-year-old Bri, who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Facing controversies and with an eviction notice staring down her family, Bri doesn't just want to ... Read all Story centers on 16-year-old Bri, who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Facing controversies and with an eviction notice staring down her family, Bri doesn't just want to make it, she has to make it. Story centers on 16-year-old Bri, who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Facing controversies and with an eviction notice staring down her family, Bri doesn't just want to make it, she has to make it.

• Sanaa Lathan
• Angie Thomas
• Jamila Gray
• Noa Dior Rucker
• 6 User reviews
• 17 Critic reviews
• 52 Metascore
• 2 nominations

Top cast 53

• Brianna 'Bri' Jackson
• (as Jamila C. Gray)

• (as Titus Makin)

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Aunt Pooh : You can't spell brilliant without first spelling Bri.

• Soundtracks Where The Flowers Grow Written by Mark Woodford Performed by Mark Woodford Courtesy of Beats and Rhymes

User reviews 6

• Sep 8, 2023
• How long is On the Come Up? Powered by Alexa
• September 23, 2022 (United States)
• United States
• Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
• Paramount Pictures
• State Street Pictures
• Temple Hill Entertainment
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• Sep 25, 2022

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 56 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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On the Come Up Reviews

On The Come Up entertains, challenges, inspires, educates, and enlightens. As they say in hip-hop, “Real recognize real” and when it comes to films we’ve seen in 2022, On The Come Up is as real as it gets.

Full Review | Jul 19, 2023

As an adaptation, the film sands off the book's complicated and nuanced consideration of class and poverty. As a straightforward film about an artist, however, it succeeds, particularly the solid performances. That freeze frame ending, though...oof

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 7, 2022

On the Come Up is both slice-of-life-of-Black-America and teenaged-girl come-of-age story, carving out the contours of the space and the lives of this world with enough generosity that each moment feels rich and vibrant.

Full Review | Oct 13, 2022

In her impressive directorial debut, actor-turned-filmmaker Sanaa Lathan delivers a poised and upbeat adaptation of The Hate U Give author's second book

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Oct 12, 2022

An entertaining look at the world of rap and how one young girl handles it all.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Oct 6, 2022

An underdog story that occasionally leans too much on cliche but outlasts and enlivens with some fiery wordplay and a cast with charisma to burn.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2022

Some worthwhile coming-of-age themes aren’t given the urgency they deserve in this heartfelt underdog drama.

Full Review | Sep 30, 2022

While On The Come Up is well meaning, it comes across as dated, lifeless, and overly sanitized. It reduces its characters to stereotypes with derivative dialogue and forced bars.

It can’t find the energy truly required to make the rap battles come alive

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Sep 29, 2022

Bravo to Lathan for making On the Come Up shine bright like a diamond.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 28, 2022

Lathan captures Bri's confusion, anger, and creative delight, even if the execution falters a bit with some unnecessary inner monologue that doesn't always work.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 28, 2022

On the Come Up thrives on a strong central performance and a genuine sincerity that is present throughout the lead character's journey.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 26, 2022

The script is layered with themes of racism, authority overreach, and, most importantly, stereotypes, particularly forcing people of color into a typecast box by a lily-white world.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 24, 2022

On the Come Up is a thoughtful and generous-spirited entertainment, and a reminder of how hard it can be, when you’re young, to figure out who you really are.

Full Review | Sep 24, 2022

Even when Gray doesn’t always sell us on her prowess as a potential star rapper, she never fails to embody a young girl on the brink of womanhood struggling with her emotions and looking for a way to use her voice and to have her say.

Full Review | Sep 23, 2022

There are better movies about aspiring rappers who do rap battles, but at least On the Come Up centers on a rare female perspective that's refreshing from the cliché machismo in rap. The movie's appealing performances overcome some flawed film editing.

Despite a plethora of potential in the characters, On the Come Up is not able to rise to the heights it needed to.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Sep 23, 2022

At best, “On the Come Up” lacks the voice, craft and perspective to reshape its source material; at worst, it is content — even celebratory — of its own undeveloped nature.

Full Review | Sep 22, 2022

The predictable narrative arc, the happenstance lighting from scene-to-scene and Lathan’s minimalist take on the material all adds up to something you might watch once and promptly forget about.

Jamila C. Gray lends credibility to Brianna Jackson, who happens to be searching for just that. She plays the damn role.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 21, 2022

'On the Come Up' Review: Jamila Gray Shines as an Aspiring Rapper in This Ambling Adaptation

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A familiar underdog story made engaging by the flashes of patience with which it approaches its material, Sanaa Lathan ’s On the Come Up doesn’t reinvent the wheel as much as it tries to roll along with it. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Angie Thomas , who also wrote The Hate U Give , it works best as a star-making feature debut for Jamila Gray . She is the film’s best asset as Brianna 'Bri' Jackson, a 16-year-old phenom who battles her way through an underground rap scene to try to help her family who has fallen on hard times. She does so in search of stardom of her own by following in the footsteps of her late father after he made a name for himself many years ago. First making its premiere back at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival , it is a sincere yet sporadic work that never quite reaches the emotionally reflective heights it is reaching for as it frequently freezes up when it counts.

This is also how we first see Bri in action where she gets overwhelmed by the pressures of being in the ring against an opponent who goes straight for the jugular. She can’t find the words to respond and walks out, a tough start on a journey that is paved with challenge after challenge in the fictional city of Garden Heights. After selling “contraband” at her school, which is actually just candy, she gets violently slammed down by the on-site officer and smeared as being somehow responsible for what happened to her. This only makes her more determined to get back in the ring, especially after economic precarity comes knocking, and she needs to make a bankable name for herself. After finding some fleeting early successes, even holding her own while battling in the parking lot when the plot conspires to keep her out of the ring, Bri will then have to face down the pitfalls that come with newfound fame.

The greatest flaw of On the Come Up is how it becomes far too simplistic, both in the story itself and its presentation. Garden Heights rarely feels like a place with any texture to it. We don’t really get that many glimpses of establishing shots to ground us in the setting, instead cycling through a handful of locations that all feel far too confined. Thematically, even as it grapples with some more heavy subjects, it all is besought by a prevailing nervousness about fully delving into the darkness. Much of this is by design as it seems focused on playing to a bit of a younger audience and packaging the experience in something that is digestible to them. Unfortunately, this sells them and the film itself short as it preemptively constraints itself when it doesn't need to. What complexities and challenges arise are artificial in how they are constructed, especially with how Bri herself is written as a character. She is clearly meant to be inexperienced with the world, but this can often make her remain painfully static.

RELATED: 'On the Come Up': Sanaa Lathan's Directorial Debut Sets Theatrical Release

Central to this is an initially close relationship she has with her manager Aunt Pooh. Played by a woefully underutilized Da'Vine Joy Randolph , who has been killing it in everything from The Lost City to Only Murders in the Building , she soon completely vanishes from the film before popping up when it needs her to kick off a concluding conflict. The film does this by creating a rushed wedge between Bri and her, robbing it of any impact. In the span of only a couple of scenes, Bri decides to cut ties with Aunt Pooh and go with new management. Even as it is made clear that this is because of her need to get money as quickly as possible, this change of direction for herself lacks the emotional connection it should have.

Bri just gets whisked away to the big time, abruptly thrown into a world that will bring its own share of storylines that also don’t get fully excavated. From a brief queer romance that plays out as a glorified shadow of a subplot to some attempts at providing incisive observations about the corrupting nature of the music industry as a whole, all of it passes almost as quickly as it begins to take shape. It all lacks focus or direction as it shifts into a third act that pushes all the preceding narrative threads to the side. This makes it feel as though it is just going through the motions at a rapid-fire pace without ever taking the time to slow down and sit with what it wants to be. Ironically, just as Bri is struggling to figure out who she wants to be, so too is the film. For all its promise, it lacks compelling cinematic or narrative poetry.

What makes it impossible to dismiss entirely is just how committed Gray is to this character. She is able to bring the necessary charisma to the surprisingly few rap scenes we get as well as a prevailing vulnerability when she steps off the stage. A handful of quieter character scenes towards the end see her elevate the experience when it desperately needed her to. Each of them feels like a breath of fresh air for just how patient they are. That they inevitably get interrupted by the plot rushing back in is then all the more unfortunate. There are two films in tension with each other as one seems to want to be more character-driven and nuanced while the other is built around a haphazard plot that threatens to crowd anything else out. The pieces will occasionally arrange themselves into more grounded reflections, but not enough to do justice to the characters on the whole. It lacks the necessary cohesion and confidence to carry it through an increasingly scattered story. Despite a plethora of potential in the characters, On the Come Up is not able to rise to the heights it needed to.

On the Come Up is now playing in theaters and on Paramount+.

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‘On the Come Up’ Review: Sanaa Lathan Spins a YA Rap Fairy Tale

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It’s fitting that Emmy-nominated actress Sanaa Lathan is making her feature directorial debut with a drama about the power of legacy. The veteran performer is the child of both another actress (Eleanor McCoy) and another filmmaker (Stan Lathan). She is likely well-acquainted with the pressures and pleasures of having great things expected of her because of her name and lineage. She doesn’t need to worry, because Lathan has a bright future ahead of her, thanks to a keen eye for casting, performance, and telling stories that matter.

Based on the best-selling YA novel by Angie Thomas, “ On the Come Up ” follows a rising rap star intent on making a name for herself while honoring her late father. “On the Come Up” embraces its fairy-tale feeling early on, opening with a title card that tells us it’s set “somewhere in America,” before zooming in on the fictional, mostly Black community of Garden Heights. But this fairy tale doesn’t have a happy start, as we meet young Bri (played in a short opening sequence by Noa Dior Rucker), her brother Trey, and mother Jada (Lathan) during an evening that Bri will later explain effectively ended her innocence. We’ll learn why soon enough.

Lathan cast herself in the film’s trickiest role and while Bri might be most overtly obsessed with her dad’s legacy, it’s the fraught bond between Bri and Jada that serves as the film’s heart. Lathan is just as good on the screen as she is behind the camera, but she smartly shines the brightest light on the film’s breakout star: Jamila Gray, who plays 16-year-old Bri through most of the film. “On the Come Up” rests on her more-than-capable shoulders, and Gray ably maneuvers between all of Bri’s understandably big emotions as she attempts to mount a career while also dealing with her family, her school, her friends, and more. The film only works if we believe that Bri is a massive star and a generational talent: Gray is more than up to the task.

Bri’s father, Lawrence AKA “Lawless,” was one of the best rappers Garden Heights has ever known — and that’s saying something, because as we travel around the neighborhood, it becomes clear that the Heights has plenty of rap talent, from rising stars like Milez (Justin Martin) and Infamous Millz (Lil Yachty) to those that may never be discovered — and Bri wants to be just like her dad. Bri’s first attempt at rap battling refereed by local DJ Hype (an energetic Mike Epps) doesn’t pan out — she basically makes a run for it, and who could blame her — she’s soon thrust into the spotlight.

The film is the second adaptation of one of Thomas’ YA novels — the first was George Tillman Jr.’s “The Hate U Give,” which also centered on a talented young Black woman trying to balance her desires with the needs of her family and community — and while both films offer sterling roles for their stars, Thomas’ work is so rich and layered that each feature is at the mercy of their screenplays. “On the Come Up” was adapted by “Queen Sugar” and “This Is Us” writer Kay Oyegun, and often suffers from her (understandable) attempts to cram as much of Thomas’ material into one feature.

While the sequences that follow Bri’s rise to rap superstardom make up the bulk of the film (even Bri’s voiceover narration slips into rhyme, a wonderful choice to help us learn her voice as both a rapper and a young woman), Oyegun is also tasked with introducing a subplot that sees Bri become a flashpoint at her high school, where she and best pals Sonny (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) and Malik (Michael Cooper Jr.), are part of a “diversity initiative.” A subplot follows the very timely topic of excessive force used against young Black people, but it doesn’t fit alongside Bri’s starry-eyed dreams and they only dampen each other’s power. (Later, of course, the two plots do  intersect, but Thomas pulled off that marriage with more ease in the novel.)

Bri’s star rises. She finally battles it out and proves to have not only the rhyming chops but pure stage swagger; second and her father’s former BFF Supreme (Method Man) sets his sights on building Bri’s career. Falling under Supreme’s sway means Bri needs to fire her own aunt, Patricia AKA Poo (a wonderful Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who has so far guided her latent career. Not enough drama? Poo also has beef with some local gang members, which Bri stirs up through her first hit single, a raucous burner that sounds great on the radio but doesn’t necessarily speak to what she really wants to say.

That’s the crux of Bri’s big dreams: sShe wants nothing more than to be a rapper, but many forces (mostly Supreme) conspire to reduce her voice (literally and figuratively) to what is “expected” of a young Black person. Is she aggressive, angry, slinging rhymes about Glocks? That’s what she’s been told, even as we know that Bri is pragmatic, responsible, and passionate. Why can’t she rap about that stuff? Such is the tension, and Gray excels at embodying all of Bri’s conflicts, bringing heart and nuance to a deep, searching character.

Where this all lands might feel expected, but Lathan finds surprises at every turn, mostly in her loving and respectful treatment of Bri, who is here oriented as nothing less than a mythic heroine. She should be: Her story is big enough and powerful enough, and Gray slips so fully into her, inspiring deep empathy and the kind of stand-up-and-cheer attitude that any good coming-of-age tale should elicit from its audience. She, just like Bri, is very much on the come up.

“On the Come Up” premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. It will hit limited theaters and start streaming on Paramount+ on Friday, September 23.

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• A Teenage Rapper Finds Her Own Way to the Top in <i>On the Come Up</i>

A Teenage Rapper Finds Her Own Way to the Top in On the Come Up

I n the early 2000s, Sanaa Lathan broke through as one of the most appealing young performers in a new breed of romantic comedy that bucked the business-as-usual cycle of the day. Before that, it had seemed as if romantic-comedy stars had to be white by decree—and suddenly, there were wonderful new films featuring new faces like Lathan’s, who was terrific in movies like Love & Basketball and the interracial romance Something New. It may seem like nothing now, but at the time, it was as if the heavens had opened up. Movies seemed to be headed toward new and better days.

In terms of opportunities for Black filmmakers and performers, change hasn’t happened as quickly or as thoroughly as, in the early 2000s, we thought it might. But Lathan has stayed on the scene as an actor, and now she’s helping to push the door open further for a younger generation with her directorial debut, On the Come Up . Brianna “Bri” Jackson, played by charming newcomer Jamila Gray, lives with her mother Jay (Lathan) and her older brother Trey (Titus Makin Jr.) in the fictional city of Garden Heights, which a title card at the beginning of the film tells us is “somewhere in America”—that could mean California or New Jersey, but it’s not necessarily the kind of place where dreams come true.

Read more reviews by Stephanie Zacharek

Still, 16-year-old Bri hangs onto hers: her late father was the most famous rapper ever to come out of Garden Heights, and she knows she’s gifted enough to walk in his footsteps. Her Aunt Pooh (played by the always effervescent Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who’s managing her nascent career, gets her into a local rap competition—“the Hunger Games of hiphop” is how Bri describes it, and it’s where her dad got his start. But once the spotlight is on her, Bri chokes, undone by the aggressiveness of her opponent. In the next few days, her life goes from bad to worse: Bri makes extra money peddling candy out of her backpack at school, but because she’s one of only a few Black students, the school police suspect her of selling drugs; when she refuses to let them search her backpack, they knock her roughly to the ground, pinning her arms behind her back. The principal suspends her, unfairly. That same day, Bri learns that Jay, who’s three years sober after kicking a drug habit, has lost her job, meaning there’s no money to pay for food, rent or electricity.

That’s the setup for a type of story you’ve seen before, but Lathan—working from a script by Kay Oyegun, adapted from Angie Thomas’s popular young-adult novel —manages to keep it fresh. For one thing, the rules are different for a woman rapper: if her act isn’t tough enough, she might not draw an audience. While Bri’s style is muscular and poetic, there’s nothing gangsta about it, and an ambitious manager (played by Method Man) tries to turn her into something she’s not. On the Come Up is honest about all the things male artists can get away with, while women are left to cut their own path—though it also recognizes that making that fresh path is the better route to success.

There’s also a sweet but not necessarily smooth-sailing budding romance, between Bri and her longtime friend Malik (Michael Cooper Jr.). When these two kiss for the first time, we hear Bri’s thoughts in voiceover—“I’ve been wanting to do that since eighth grade”—and a beat later, Malik says out loud, “I’ve been wanting to do that since fifth grade.” It’s a witty touch, a nod to the way girls take their time in deciding who’s worthy of their affection. And the movie makes sure Bri’s other close friend, Sonny (Miles Gutierrez-Riley), has a chance at romance too: he finds it with Milez (Justin Martin), a rapper who has cultivated a smooth romantic image, but who knows his own heart and isn’t afraid to act on his feelings. On the Come Up is a thoughtful and generous-spirited entertainment, and a reminder of how hard it can be, when you’re young, to figure out who you really are. Every generation has to work that out for itself—but nothing can change unless they do.

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Common Sense Media Review

Book-based drama about race, art, identity has gun violence.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that On the Come Up is based on author Angie Thomas' bestselling book, which is set in the same fictional neighborhood as her earlier The Hate U Give . The movie (co-star Sanaa Lathan's directorial debut) is a tribute to fighting for your dreams and being true to yourself even…

Why Age 13+?

A teenage girl is wrestled roughly to the ground and pinned there by school secu

Occasional strong language includes "a--hole," "bitch," "s--t," "damn," "ass," "

A few kisses between teens. References to a mother doing sex work. One rap battl

Background drinking at clubs. Jay is recovering from substance abuse and looks l

Car brands such as Cadillac and Chevy.

Any Positive Content?

Stresses importance of empathy, integrity, perseverance. Explores how people mus

Bri is intelligent, talented. She loves her family and friends, wants to help ta

Most of the cast is Black, as are the writer and director. Female characters hav

Violence & Scariness

A teenage girl is wrestled roughly to the ground and pinned there by school security officers. Gun violence and threats of gun violence. A gang member points a gun at a girl, later cocks it and pushes it directly at her chest before robbing her. Two gang members kick and punch an unarmed young man. People show their weapons to each other at a club. During a protest at a school, security officers are hurt and take cover.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional strong language includes "a--hole," "bitch," "s--t," "damn," "ass," "thug," the slur "d-ke bitch," "poonani," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A few kisses between teens. References to a mother doing sex work. One rap battle between two young women includes jokes and insults about sex appeal, bra/breast size, butt size, and "poonani" (female genitalia).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Background drinking at clubs. Jay is recovering from substance abuse and looks longingly at a drug buy before going to a meeting. Lots of rap battles feature references to her drug use.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

Stresses importance of empathy, integrity, perseverance. Explores how people must be true to themselves instead of pretending to be something for show. One storyline reveals the value of taking ownership of your actions and accepting the consequences. Also values redemption and not giving up on people you love.

Positive Role Models

Bri is intelligent, talented. She loves her family and friends, wants to help take care of them if she can, whatever that entails. Jay loves her children and wants to protect them, honestly. Aunt Pooh takes responsibility for her actions, encourages Bri not to follow in a false direction. Bri's best friends, Sonny and Malik, are loyal and kind to her. Supreme seems to mean well, but his motivations and methods are flawed.

Diverse Representations

Most of the cast is Black, as are the writer and director. Female characters have agency and propel the action. Themes of racism and prejudice are central, including racial profiling and brutality by authority figures. Movie emphasizes importance of showing that facing challenging life circumstances doesn't mean people can't still feel loved and have their needs met. Two gay teen characters (one is assumed to be heterosexual because of his music career). The movie, like the book, reflects upon how some White people prefer stereotypical portrayals of Black entertainers.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that On the Come Up is based on author Angie Thomas' bestselling book , which is set in the same fictional neighborhood as her earlier The Hate U Give . The movie (co-star Sanaa Lathan 's directorial debut) is a tribute to fighting for your dreams and being true to yourself even when external forces want you to change. Expect drug references, as well as occasional strong language ("a--hole," "s--t," and "d-ke"). Violent scenes include characters brandishing guns, or, in the case of two gang members, committing armed robbery after beating up/striking two unarmed teens. There's also an upsetting encounter between a student and two school security officers (they wrestle her to the ground and pin her there). Later, there's a protest against the security officers, who cower from the angry crowd. Romance is limited to a few kisses between teens. Families with teens will have plenty to discuss, from the racism and prejudice that Black teens face to the ways in which entertainers of color can feel pressured to portray themselves in stereotypical ways to appeal to mainstream (i.e., White) audiences. Messages include the importance of empathy, integrity, and perseverance. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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• Parents say (1)
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Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

ON THE COME UP takes place in the fictional neighborhood of Garden Heights (where The Hate U Give is set). It follows Briana "Bri" Jackson (Jamila Gray), an aspiring rapper whose father, Lawless, was killed before he quite made it in the music industry. Bri's mother, Jay ( Sanaa Lathan ), is recovering from substance abuse but has just lost her job. Bri wants the chance to make music. After getting racially profiled and pushed to the ground by her high school's security officers, Bri teams up with successful local hip-hop producer Supreme ( Method Man ), who wants Bri to lean into the stereotype of a "hard" girl from the inner city. She responds by writing a song that goes viral -- but makes fans think she's calling for violence against the police and authorities. Amid the controversy, Bri must figure out who she wants to be and whether fame is worth it if she's playing a role.

Is It Any Good?

This good if not great adaptation of Angie Thomas' sophomore novel features a couple of standout performances. But it lacks the impact of The Hate U Give, which was also based on a Thomas novel. In the On the Come Up book, there was time to draw out the various ways in which Bri's life is in flux: her mother, her incident with the security officers, her sense of being targeted, her desire to be a famous rapper, her continuing grief over the loss of her father and a stable home, etc. But despite its nearly two-hour runtime, the movie glosses over some of those storylines and, as a consequence, some characters (particularly Bri's friends and Aunt Pooh) don't feel as nuanced as they do on the page. Jay, who's played by director Lathan, does have an appropriately prominent role. And Gray is credible as Bri, who's motivated more by a need to protect than a desire for fame and fortune. Lathan captures Bri's confusion, anger, and creative delight, even if the execution falters a bit with some unnecessary inner monologue that doesn't always work.

The supporting cast is packed with talent, particularly the charming Michael Cooper Jr. and Miles Gutierrez-Riley as Malik and Sonny, Bri's best friends (and, in Malik's case, crush). Cooper gets a few big scenes and conversations, but Gutierrez-Riley is underused (surprising, since the screenplay already completely cut a couple of other friends who were present in the book). Because the book is so beloved, it's easy to be hard on the adaptation. And the film is definitely more formulaic than the book in its approach to Bri's character arc. But it's still very much worth seeing, particularly for teens, and serves as an important reminder that entertainers can be selling a persona to their fans -- and that the perception of some artists can be rooted in racist stereotypes. Beyond the messages about popular entertainment, this is a universal story about being yourself, loving your family, and staying true as an artist.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in On the Come Up . How realistic is it? How does realistic gun violence compare to stylized or fantasy violence? Which has greater impact?

Discuss which of the themes in On the Come Up are similar to those in The Hate U Give . How are the stories different?

How do Bri and the other characters display empathy and integrity through their words and actions? Why are these important character strengths ?

If you've read the book: What did you like most about the movie, and what, if anything, did you miss?

Movie Details

• In theaters : September 23, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : September 23, 2022
• Cast : Jamila Gray , Sanaa Lathan , Method Man , Da'Vine Joy Randolph
• Director : Sanaa Lathan
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Black directors, Female actors, Black actors, Black writers
• Studio : Paramount Pictures
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Book Characters , Friendship , High School , Music and Sing-Along
• Character Strengths : Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance
• Run time : 115 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : strong language, sexual references, thematic elements, some violence and drug material
• Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
• Last updated : September 27, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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On the come up review: once upon a rap.

The film is a fable about the merits of selling out versus those of staying true to oneself.

Sanaa Lathan’s On the Come Up tells the story of Brianna Jackson (Jamila C. Gray), a 16-year old rapper, though it has to compete with Brianna herself, who does more than her share of telling. “Once upon a time there was a girl named Bri,” she says, in voiceover, as if bracing us for a fairy tale. Indeed, though the film is set in the decidedly non-magical neighborhood of Garden Heights, it gets by on the lows and fanciful highs that hold court in that genre. Brianna’s deceased father, who went by the sobriquet of “Lawless,” was a local legend, and she makes regular pilgrimages to a vast mural of him, painted on the side of a warehouse.

After her husband’s death, Brianna’s mother, Jayda (Lathan), became mired in addiction, temporarily leaving Brianna and her brother, Trey (Titus Makin), in the care of their grandparents. The relationship between mother and daughter still bears the cracks of that early abandonment, and Brianna, as if insuring herself against future trouble, hedges her parental bets. She spends much time with her Aunt Pooh (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who drives a lime-green Oldsmobile, deals drugs, and keeps a gun tucked in her waistband. As bets go, she’s hardly the safest, but it’s Pooh who supports Brianna’s lyrical talents, taking her to a nearby club where rap battles are held. “This is the ring,” Brianna tells us, “the Hunger Games of hip-hop.”

It’s a clunky line, like an ill-fitting elevator pitch. The film was adapted by Kay Oyegun from Angie Thomas’s young-adult novel of the same name. While it would be a thrill to report that Brianna, in solidarity with the heroine of The Hunger Games , equips herself with a longbow and butts heads with her oppressors, no such twists are in store. The arrows remain strictly verbal.

Against the advice of Aunt Pooh, Brianna starts to collaborate with Supreme, a wealthy producer, and an old friend of her father’s. As played by Method Man, Supreme supplies On the Come Up with a dose of charming darkness. One look at him, sat in his glassy mansion, or encastled in a gloomy Escalade, and you know he’s bad news. But you can’t help feeling relieved as he reassures Brianna of her gifts, and furnishes her efforts in the recording studio with envelopes of cash. After all, she needs the money to support her family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B7AXY4xXyQ

In a telling scene, Jayda calls her daughter, who’s been taken to a luxurious hotel in Atlanta by Supreme. Back in Garden Heights, the power has been shut off in the Jackson house, and On the Come Up cuts from the warm candlelight that envelops Jayda to the cold blue glow of the hotel pool, in which Brianna dips her feet. In this moment, director of photography Eric Branco neatly illuminates the tension between love and money.

On the Come Up is fundamentally a cautionary fable about the relative merits of selling out versus those of staying true to oneself. This is exemplified by Supreme, who extolls the virtues of pretending to be someone else. “I play the damn role,” he says, gesturing to his tailored suit. At his behest, Brianna records a song riddled with calls to violence—exactly the sort of pre-packaged image that’s doomed to sell, in other words—and the result, predictably, is that violence comes to call. That predictability, though, is hardly a problem.

There are heartbreaks, reconciliations, and rap showdowns in all the places you would expect, and you may find yourself smirking as each story beat lands—not at the lack of surprise on offer, but at how little it matters to On the Come Up ’s appeal. As Brianna so fiercely demonstrates, the beats are merely the backing with which you seize your audience.

None of which would work without Gray, who gives Brianna gravity without weighing her down. Her full-bream smiles are the biggest surprises in On the Come Up . Even though she’s saddled with lumpen lines, particularly in Brianna’s rhyming narration (“Good. One word, one syllable. If I could, I’d give everything I should to make my family good”), Gray lends credibility to this young woman, who happens to be searching for just that. She plays the damn role.

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Review: Don’t look for a meaningful portrayal of Black life in messy, derivative drama ‘On the Come Up’

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“Y’all could’ve killed me for a pack of Skittles!” These are the rightfully angry words of 16-year-old Bri (Jamila C. Grey), a talented young rapper who — after clandestinely selling candy to her peers at her majority-white high school — is targeted for attack by the school’s overzealous and violent security guards. It is also one of several moments in actor-turned-director Sanaa Lathan’s feature debut, “On the Come Up,” that, in an attempt to imbue its story world with some sort of meaningful politics, glibly references the murder of Trayvon Martin.

Martin is, of course, only one of many, but is invoked as a kind of catch-all representative of Black youth who endure racialized violence at the hands of officers. Lathan’s film, adapted from the 2019 novel of the same name by “The Hate U Give” author Angie Thomas, positions itself as a coming-of-age drama following young Bri as she navigates the world of battle rapping in the fictional housing projects of Garden Heights. Unfortunately, it is these exact kinds of hollow parallels that make up the bulk of its presupposed substance.

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Bri is the daughter of late rapper and beloved neighborhood figure Lawless, who was killed just as he was on the verge of even greater success. Her mother, Jay (Sanaa Lathan), is a handful of years into her recovery from drug use, a fact that is often cruelly thrown in Bri’s face when she faces other battle rappers in the (literal) ring. Precarity patterns the entirety of Bri’s life, from the absence of Jay during her childhood to her older brother having to drop out of his master’s program in order to help support their family.

It’s made clear that while Bri has both the lyrical chops and spirit to carry on her father’s legacy, the urgency of her day-to-day life is closing in on her motivations as a rapper. After decimating a former local rapper turned mainstream success named Milez (Justin Martin) in the the battle ring, Bri is introduced to Supreme (Method Man), a savvy manager quick to extend resources that the young girl and her family so desperately need. Also within this orbit is Bri’s aunt Pooh (Da’Vine Joy Rudolph), her manager and mentor who is quick to talk about her hustle without quite enough to actually show for it.

With a story this well-trodden, exhausted even, the contributions that “On the Come Up” makes are too limited. It feels dated, both in scope and in form. Characters here are reduced to cliché stereotypes, a fact all the more ironic given that Lathan’s film is quick to use such stereotypes to shape the heart of its story. With the exception of a handful of scenes focused on Bri and her friends and family in more intimate moments, the film’s dialogue and plotting are obvious and lacking in both identity and dynamism.

There is a lifelessness to “On the Come Up” and in comparison to other well-received, if not classic, movies from the recent past that cover much of the same trajectories of story and character (“8 Mile” and “Hustle & Flow” in particular come to mind), Lathan’s film lacks soul and spirit. As it musters the energy to drag both its audience and itself across its finish line, it does so seemingly without much belief in itself. Or perhaps more appropriately, a belief that is sorely misguided.

Those familiar with the feature adaptation of “The Hate U Give” will notice the unchanging nature of author Thomas’ politics, the heavy-footed way that they thud about and refuse to refine themselves outside of their own all-too-eager announcement. It is not just Black death, but Black life, that is realized here in the most reductive of forms. At its core, this is a film whose story is most concerned with the twin powers of respectability and authenticity, a reality that also comes to be expressed as an unintended meta-commentary on the work itself.

At best, “On the Come Up” lacks the voice, craft and perspective to reshape its source material; at worst, it is content — even celebratory — of its own undeveloped nature. It is yet another addition to the now-burgeoning output of films that purport to offer meaningful Black stories onscreen, but instead deliver a muddled entanglement of ideas that, frankly, don’t add up to much.

'On the Come Up'

Rated: PG-13, for strong language, sexual references, thematic elements, some violence and drug material Running time: 1 hour, 56 minutes Playing: In general release; streaming on Paramount+

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Daniel radcliffe and ‘harry potter’ cast remember costar maggie smith for “fierce intellect” and “true definition of greatness”, toronto review: sanaa lathan’s ‘on the come up’.

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On the Come Up , directed by actress-turned-director Sanaa Lathan and written by Kay Oyegun, is based on the book by acclaimed author Angie Thomas ( The Hate U Give ). The film explores the many facets of Black girlhood through hip-hop music and the general music industry. The novel is 464 pages, and the movie tries to cram all that information into two hours, which sometimes overshadows the messaging. But what works is that it speaks to a demographic that is often ignored and the culture of rap that is seldom explored from a woman’s perspective.

The film starts with Bri (Jamila Gray) being abandoned by her drug-addicted mother Jay (Lathan). The memory traumatizes her throughout her adolescence until the point she’s introduced as a 16-year old She’s also mourning the death of her father, a former rapper called Law from the Garden Heights. She wants to be just like her father and frequents “The Ring,” a place she calls the “Hunger Games of rap,” where lyricists battle for cash prizes. Her Aunt Pooh (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who still takes part in gang life, guides her as a sort of manager. On her first attempt to battle at the ring, Bri chokes. However, she finally wins and quickly becomes an overnight local celebrity.

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She lives with her mother now. Jay is sober and working menial jobs to make ends meet. At school, Bri sells M&M’s and Skittles to help gain some pocket money, but a run-in with school officers become suspicious and they think she’s selling drugs. When the cops ask to look in her bag, she resists and is subsequently slammed to the ground in a use of excessive force and suspended from school.

Pooh gives Bri excuses as to why her career isn’t moving faster and Bri loses faith in her aunt’s ability to manage her. She eventually links up with Supreme (Cliff “Method Man” Smith), who promises her studio time, fame and more money than she’s ever imagined. On her journey with Supreme, she learns the price of selling her soul and that not all money is good money.

Thematically, On the Come Up says a lot of things at once. Hints of race, gender, racism and misogynoir are there, and each one of those elements isn’t given enough time to be fleshed out. The film plays like it’s racing against the clock to get it all in before the time is up. But life as a Black girl/woman is very much all at once, isn’t it? These things will happen at least once in your lifetime. Seeing a bigger examination of women in the music industry would have made the movie stronger, but the script doesn’t do enough with that to get the point across.

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What’s odd is there aren’t many positive Black female influences in Bri’s story. Sure, they are all good people, but her mother is a recovering addict who is struggling financially. Her aunt is still involved in gang activities, and even another woman who Bri later battle raps is considered a fake and phony Barbie doll industry plant. I haven’t read the book, so it’s unclear if that’s an aspect left out, if it’s missing from the book as well. Either way, stories by Angie Thomas always provide a window into the Black girl experience. Working with Oyegun is a good collaboration because she knows how to speak to the young, Black demographic.

On the Come Up has an old-school quality to it regarding the shooting style and aesthetic. John Singleton, and the Hughes Brothers, clearly influenced Lathan’s directing style. She balances that with a performance that is vulnerable and sincere. It’s some of her best work. Randolph should be among Hollywood’s A-list and it’s a shame she isn’t right now.  

Young women need to protect themselves from those who only see their talents as profit and force them to play into a persona that’s not true to who they really are. While On the Come Up is flawed, it has a voice that is so loud, the messaging here cannot be denied.

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The poster for the On The Come Up movie, featuring lead actress Jamila C. Gray.

On The Come Up: Book vs. Movie

The On the Come Up movie can’t measure up to Angie Thomas’s original novel.

By Delilah Sonnenshein

December 19, 2022

*THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In my opinion, the book is always better than the movie. And Angie Thomas’s novel “ On the Come Up” is no exception. It’s one of the most entertaining and moving books I have ever read, as are her other novels. Thomas’s realistic writing style and multi-dimensional characters make it so that her works are more like experiences than books.

Naturally, I was elated when I heard that there would be an “ On the Come Up” movie. As an avid Angie Thomas fan and a movie lover in general, I looked forward to seeing the film with great anticipation, but I was ultimately disappointed by what I saw. 

“On the Come Up” is a vivid and passionate novel that focuses on Brianna Jackson, a sixteen-year-old rapper with a dream to make it big and help her family in the process. Her dad was shot and killed by a gang called the Crowns when she was only four – and her mother, who struggled with a cocaine addiction, left Bri and her older brother Trey with their grandparents a year later.

Now, however, Bri lives with Trey and her mom in a small apartment, though the family struggles to make ends meet. She and her two best friends, Sonny and Malik, attend Midtown High School. After winning a rap battle and releasing a song, Bri’s fame starts to skyrocket, and she is forced to deal with discrimination and disputes about her music as she reaches for her dreams.

The first thing that I disliked about the movie was that it felt rushed. There was no real exposition; watchers were simply thrown into the story and any extra context was made up later. As someone who had read the book several times, I was able to get a grasp of what was happening, but the film jumped from event to event quickly and without many real transitions. There was also very little in the movie about Bri’s day-to-day life. Some of my favorite parts of the book were in the little descriptions of Bri doing normal things. These scenes, however short, were witty and real, and they turned the novel into something genuine and loveable. She’d be fighting with her brother, gaming with her friends, playing Uno with her family – and that’s how we got to know Bri as a character.

Speaking of, I felt that Bri’s personality in the movie was a watered-down version of the book. I loved Jamila Gray in the role, but she had less of some of her distinctive traits – her love of Marvel and Star Wars, for example. In the books, Bri enjoyed video games and annoying her brother, and she had both a severe competitive edge and a love of arguing. In the movie, however, it felt like Bri’s only personality trait was that she liked rapping. She was nice and passionate and funny, sure, but her movie persona lacked that special “Bri” factor that made the books so relatable and real.

Then there were the differences between the book and the movie. Some were small, but several of them were pivotal parts of the book for me; and without them, the plot felt foreign. I found that the two most glaring differences between the book and the film were the romantic relationships between Bri and her friends, as well as Bri’s family not playing a significant role in her life in the film.

One of my favorite parts of the “ On the Come Up” book was Bri and Curtis’s relationship. They started out as the type of pseudo-friends that live to annoy each other, but as the story wore on they began to realize their feelings and eventually decided to date. Curtis was a funny and devoted boyfriend, and their relationship ended up helping Bri to expand her horizons while receiving support and affection. While Bri had feelings for Malik in the beginning of the book, they ultimately decided they were better of as friends – and personally, I strongly agree. While Malik and Bri love and understand each other better than almost anyone, they have a one-hundred-percent platonic relationship. However, the movie chose to cut Curtis’ role and replace him with Malik. Their whole relationship ended up feeling forced.

On the topic of forced relationships, I can’t not mention Sonny and Miles. Their story was adorable in the book – two self-conscious artists who connected online and eventually met each other in person. The progression of their relationship was sweet and natural. In the movie, though, their relationship moves at a confoundingly fast pace – one moment they’re on a vacation with Bri, and the next they’re telling Bri and Malik that they’ve been dating since that trip. Sonny and Miles barely knew each other, save for a cringe-worthy exchange where Miles pulled Sonny’s hand to his heart and made a speech about music. Though they’re obviously cute together, Miles and Sonny’s movie relationship is stilted. Maybe if we got to see more of the supporting characters, we would have a better grasp of this couple. Sonny, Miles, and even Malik don’t seem to have lives unless they’re with Bri.

The last issue I had with the film was that Bri spent so little time with her family. While the bond she has with her mother is adequately portrayed in the movie, her

relationship with her brother Trey is nowhere to be found. In the book, however, he is her rock and her role model; they love each other deeply and are one of the most important parts of each other’s life. But in the film, Trey and Bri seem to lack a genuine connection, and the real brother-sister scenes can be counted on just a few fingers. Additionally, in the book, Bri’s grandparents played a significant role in her life, which fueled the subplot of Bri’s struggle to re-accept her mother. Bri had a powerful bond with her grandparents – after all, they helped raise her – but this thought-provoking and heartwarming aspect of the novel failed to make it into the script. Bri and Trey’s grandparents were completely absent from the movie. 

In conclusion, the novel “ On the Come Up” outshone the film in almost every way. While I am an avid Angie Thomas fan and a general lover of the story, I must admit that the movie was not up to par at all. Hopefully, the next film based on one of Thomas’s novels – whenever that may come to be – will do her talents justice.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘On the Come Up’ on Paramount+, Where A Young Rapper Discovers That Success Isn’t One Dimensional 

Where to stream:.

• On the Come Up
• sanaa lathan

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On the Come Up hits Paramount+ after a successful showing at the Toronto International Film Festival. Sanaa Latham, who also co-stars, makes her directorial debut with On the Come Up , which was based on the YA bestseller of the same name by The Hate U Give author Angie Thomas and penned for the screen by This Is Us writer Kay Oyegun. Method Man and Mike Epps also co-star, with cameo appearances by Lil Yachty and GaTa. 

ON THE COME UP : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist : We’re in Garden Heights, “somewhere in America,” and Bri Jackson (Jamila C. Gray) gazes at a mural honoring her late father, who as Lawless was the best rapper to ever come out of the Garden. “He passed his gift to me,” Bri tells us in voiceover, and she meets up with Pooh (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), her devoted manager and auntie, for that evening’s rap battle action at The Ring. As Lil’ Law, Bri has a ton of talent on the mic – in her frequent voiceovers, we hear how her mind analyzes and collates words, syllables, phrases. But people like ringmaster Hype (Mike Epps) will never let anyone forget that she’s a legacy. Until she can prove it on her own, and Pooh can generate some industry connections, Bri remains on the outside of the ring.

But the victories start coming, and they have a more immediate benefit: cash prizes help keep the lights on at home, where Bri’s mother Jay (Sanaa Lathan), a recovering heroin addict, is struggling to find work. And at high school, Bri and her buddies Sonny (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) and Malik (Michael Cooper, Jr.) are hassled by a security apparatus that seems much more interested in the Black and Brown kids than Caucasian ones. Bri is aggressively detained and then suspended for selling candy. Baseless rumors persist that she was actually selling drugs.

When Bri comes under the influence of Supreme (Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Jr.), a successful talent manager who once worked with her father, his industry access and expensive gifts are enticing for the come up she’s worked so hard to achieve. But Bri has to make a choice: focus on an aggressive hip-hop style that’s proven popular, or stick to her knack for introspective lyrics with progressive themes? Of course, the first big Lil’ Law track with Supreme’s backing goes viral, and of course, its content causes more static: static about authenticity with her pals and family, static about business after she left Pooh for Supreme, and static about her lyrics fanning the flames of community violence and racism. Can Bri do right by her family, find her own truth, and still embrace the gift for rapping that will forever bond her to her father?

What Movies Will It Remind You Of? Lil’ Law breaks into an Eminem cadence and 8 Mile references during one of her rap battles, and in The Forty-Year-Old Version , Radha Blank also explored rapping as well as compromising. But On the Come Up also hits beats that will be familiar to anyone who’s seen an underdog story, whether it’s trying to make it in the music business, break out of an underground dance scene, or be the one nobody ever saw coming. After all, Lil Law name-checks The Karate Kid and Mr. Miyagi, too.

Performance Worth Watching: Da’Vine Joy Randolph ( High Fidelity , Only Murders in the Building ; The Wknd and Sam Levinson’s much-hyped upcoming HBO project The Idol )  is terrific here as Aunt Pooh, dominating every scene she has with a bold blend of personality, pathos, wise words, and a streak of generational family pride that’s a mile wide.

Memorable Dialogue: “See, battlin’ me is a luxury. See, I’m the greatest of the past mixed with the present – Drake, Cole, and Kendrick. Came out of mama spittin’ – even the little baby version of me different.” Bri’s raps in the freestyle ring were written by North Carolina rapper Rapsody, whose own albums are full of elliptical spins through introspection, expression, and cold-blooded put-downs.

Sex and Skin: Nothing.

Our Take: It’s the performances that end up activating On the Come Up , and elevating it whenever the underdog cliches and abbreviated sketches of music industry dynamics and contemporary social justice issues threaten to mute its promise. Sanaa Lathan delivers emotional heft to Jay’s arc as a proud single mother who once abandoned her children but kicked her addiction, fought for custody, and is the biggest believer in her daughter’s personhood. And newcomer Jamila C. Gray is great here as Bri – she puts one hundred percent of herself into the battle rap scenes, which are full of taunts and fronts but also molten put-downs and cheeky wit. As Pooh, Da’Vine Joy Randolph is the fierce protector anyone would want in a manager and a family member, and since any movie even partly about the social politics of high school has to provide its main character with a solid support network, it’s great to have Miles Gutierrez-Riley and Michael Cooper, Jr. along here as Sonny, Bri’s happily out bestie, and Malik, her childhood pal and longtime crush. Even Method Man, who wouldn’t have to do much more with Supreme than bring some flash and expensive fits, puts the right amount of sinister beneath his smooth surface, which both informs the cliches at work in On the Come Up and performatively transcends them.

Will you stream or skip the battle rap movie #OnTheComeUp on @paramountplus ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) October 4, 2022

Our Call: STREAM IT. On the Come Up is an underdog story that occasionally leans too much on cliche but outlasts and enlivens with some fiery wordplay and a cast with charisma to burn.

Johnny Loftus is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift. Follow him on Twitter:  @glennganges

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Da'vine joy randolph, cuyle carvin, screen rant review, on the come up review: lathan's directorial debut is engaging coming-of-age tale.

On the Come Up thrives on a strong central performance and a genuine sincerity that is present throughout the lead character's journey. 

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Trump’s “vastly overpriced” $100,000 “swiss watch” is probably made in china, experts say.

The former president's new timepieces are the laughingstock of watch aficionados, who cast doubt on their true origins — "as ersatz as the man himself."

By Laurie Brookins

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He’s hawked gold sneakers , commemorative coins and even a cryptocurrency venture in recent months, so Donald Trump ‘s latest retail effort — to sell a pricey gold watch emblazoned with his name — should surprise no one. But timepiece experts aren’t impressed.

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Word quickly spread among the status-watch community, which was overwhelmingly unimpressed. “This is cobbled together, patently unoriginal and vastly overpriced,” says Ariel Adams, founder and editor of A Blog to Watch , one of the industry’s most popular sites for timepiece information and education. “It’s very clear he’s working with a white labeler , which is nothing new. Anyone can go to a white labeler and say, ‘I want a watch with this case, this bracelet and these other details,’ and a white labeler will Frankenstein it together, put your name on it and sell it to you. But the price you sell it for is up to you. That the markup came from someone on Trump’s team is obvious here. Even the $500 piece from another brand would go for maybe $200.”

A marketing director of a well-known Swiss brand, who asked not to be named to keep his opinion separate from the company that employs him, agreed. “I belong to a collector group that maintains an ongoing group chat, and the initial reaction was that it had to be fake. After that, everyone was laughing,” he said of the more expensive piece. “When you look at all of them, they scream Chinese-made watch. None of them is worth the asking price.”

“Fifteen years ago, if you wanted a Swiss-made tourbillon, it would be $50,000,” Adams confirmed. “But the Chinese came along with a lower-priced tourbillon, so today you can get a tourbillon watch for around $6,000. But it shouldn’t be confused with a tourbillon design fully made in Switzerland.”

Several other details also reveal a lack of quality. “The gem-setting looks very rough, while the indices on the dial also look set within the markers, not outset, which also looks very amateurish,” the marketing director noted. “And if you play the video , you can see dust on all the screws. It’s really terrible.”

“[The tourbillon watch] is as ersatz as the man himself,” added Adam Craniotes, founder and president of Red Bar Group, an international network of watch collectors that extends to 85 cities around the globe. “They can employ all the superlatives they want on their site, but [collectors have] already figured out that it’s a half-Swiss, half-Chinese tourbillon you can buy off the rack. Any value from this watch would only come from melting it down and selling the gold and diamonds.”

“By withholding specifics, they’re able to make preproduction changes while staying true to the description on their site,” Adams explained. “And being generous, those diamonds could cost anywhere from $10 to $30 each.”

Regardless of whether they’re interested in the lower-priced dive model or the tourbillon selling for six figures, interested consumers would be smart to peruse the site’s fine print. Also, like the gold sneakers Trump was selling back in February, the watches are being sold only as preorders, which absolves Trump and his merchandising team of any responsibility for paying upfront for the pieces — but it also means purchasers will wait to receive them, with delivery dates estimated to be “October/November/December” in the site’s FAQ section, with the added note that “Shipping and delivery dates are estimates only and cannot be guaranteed.”

“It’s basically a Kickstarter campaign, and not a very imaginative one,” Craniotes said. “They’ve taken design cues from already established watches and slapped his name on them. The red dial [on the diver style] I’m sure is a callout to MAGA red, but overall there’s just a sense of generic-ness and laziness about the whole venture.”

Craniotes’ mention that any value might only be derived from selling the gold and diamonds also can be justified by a disclaimer at the bottom of the site: “Trump Watches are intended as collectible items for individual enjoyment only, not for investment purposes.”

An email sent via the website, requesting specific information about the watches, such as who was manufacturing them and where, was not answered.

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On Fire Review: Mother Nature Strikes Again in a Formulaic Disaster Movie

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You don't need to live in California to know there's a plethora of deadly wildfires consuming the U.S. Take Hawaii, for example, which has been in the news these past months for the deadly flames that have completely devastated Maui and other parts. Oregon is a popular "hotspot" as well, but California comes to mind most of the time, which is probably why Peter Facinelli and Nick Lyon's new film, On Fire , takes place in the Golden State. Disaster movies have been getting produced for decades now, with some being over the top and some being more thoughtful and groundbreaking. On Fire comes off as pretty surface-level, with a formulaic plot structure, but a couple memorable supporting performances help keep the end result moving.

Heartfelt but By-the-Numbers

Taking place in a harmless California town up in the mountains called Colburn, On Fire centers on a dad in distress named Dave Laughlin (Peter Facinelli). We quickly learn that he's got a high school track star for a son (Asher Angel) and a pregnant wife (Fiona Dourif). Living the American dream ? Not quite. Dave is a seemingly ordinary man with money problems and a verbally abusive father (Lance Henriksen, great to see) who lives with them and simply can't kick a smoking habit. It's hard to believe that this mountainous town has never been hit by a wildfire, but that's what they say...

But then, of course, it happens. The flames make their way toward Dave's little world in the forest community, and here we see some impressive aerial shots of the devastation, images that look like they've been ripped right out of a news station's archives. Dave goes to the hardware store to get supplies "just in case" but then can't return home because of a stiff road block. No matter — Dave is determined and finds a way around it, literally playing with fire as he finally reunites with his family.

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Dave, Sarah, and Clay decide to return home and prepare for impact. Is that the best idea? On Fire has faith-based vibes, which might throw off the nonreligious folks out there. But it's not overkill. They say we're all atheists until we clog someone else's toilet; but humor aside, it's a similar effect when a wildfire slowly approaches our beloved home. Who wouldn't want to pray for some higher power's help? This is indeed a grave tale for the Laughlins, and it's no laughing matter when their neighbor Ms. Elkins literally catches fire next door. It's a horrid sight, but an impressive visual effect for a seemingly low-budget project like On Fire .

"F*** you, fire!" cries Clay as they slowly lose hope. The family then decides to make a run for it and hop into Dave's pickup truck from earlier, which they should've done from the start. One small problem, though: The truck is leaking oil. Now, the three of them are on foot, huffing it through the woods as smoke consumes the air around them.

Standout Supporting Turns From Fiona Dourif and Ashlei Foushee

All the while, On Fire cuts between the Laughlins and an ambitious and conflicted young 911 call operator named Kayla (Ashlei Foushee). She hates that there's only so much her department can do to help guide locals away from the deadly flames. "We can't help everyone," her supervisor says at one point. Meanwhile, the Laughlins find an abandoned home that miraculously has a working landline (remember those?), and this is how they continue to get help from Kayla directly. Once that phone dies, and after some more praying around a dining table, the Laughlins continue to move. On Fire is basically a series of stops and starts like this.

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Foushee and Dourif give the strongest performances in an otherwise thin premise with surface-level character development. If you're looking for a wildfire film with a bit more substance, check out the acclaimed Afire from earlier this year. In On Fire , it also doesn't help that the driving sequences appear very green-screened, a look that also contributed to the disappointing end result that is Expend4bles . Despite the cheesy effects, there's no denying the impact felt in watching the countryside burn in On Fire . The title cards that appear before the film's end credits remind us of just how destructive these wildfires can be — and have been in the recent past.

From Cineverse , On Fire opens only in theaters Sept. 29.

SAG-AFTRA has approved an interim agreement for On Fire since the film is being released by Cineverse, an independent, non-AMPTP affiliated distributor. Under the terms, members “may work on these productions without being in violation of the strike order,” per the guild. The entire team of On Fire expresses their gratitude to SAG-AFTRA for allowing the cast to promote On Fire during this challenging time for the industry.

On Fire is a 2023 drama-thriller film by directors Nick Lyon and Peter Facinelli, based on actual events. Dave Laughlin and his family wind up in danger when wildfires surround their countryside trailer. With the fires closing in and the window of escape narrowing, Dave must help his son and pregnant wife escape the raging inferno.

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