Thembi Banks’s ‘YOUNG. WILD. FREE.’ (2023) – Movie Review

I just watched Young. Wild. Free. a BET+ Original. The movie closes in on Brandon, who is about to lose his job after getting into an altercation.  He is robbed at gun point by the girl of his dreams and his life is going in all different directions.

Check out the trailer below, then read on for my thoughts!

Synopsis

Being a teenager is rough, and Brandon (Algee Smith) is no different. Between struggling in school, caring for his two younger siblings, and having just been let go from his job, Brandon often uses his art as an escape from the confines of his subdued day-to-day life. Enter Cassidy (Sierra Capri), a bedazzled bad girl dripping in confidence, freedom, and danger. Lured in by her whimsy, Brandon teams up with Cassidy, seamlessly slipping into the role of Clyde to her Bonnie as they make their way down an Increasingly perilous path.

Thembi Banks directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay. Young. Wild. Free. stars Algee Smith as Brandon, who you might remember from HBO’s Euphoria as well as the feature film MOTHER/ANDROID opposite Chloe Grace Moretz. The film also stars Sierra Capri (On my Block, American Skin), Mike Epps (The Upshaws, Troup Zero), Sanaa Lathan (Brown Sugar, Alien vs. Predator), Jeremiah King (88), Isa Eden (This Is Us), Ta’Rhonda Jones (The Perfect Christmas Present), Rodney J. Hobbs (Modern Family). Featuring music by John Jennings Boyd.

My Thoughts

I think the movie is good in some ways and in some ways they could improve.

What I liked is that it tells the story so smoothly you wouldn’t know they are actually telling a story. I love the romance between Algee and Sierra. The on-screen romance really threw me for a loop, but by the end of film I understood it perfectly. Also the tension between Mike’s character and Algee was spot on. It will make you want to root for different people.

One of the things I disliked about the movie was the amount of cursing in it and the violence could have pushed for an R rating. I also disliked that they didn’t show the kids that much and focused too much on Brandon’s character. I feel like the kids could have added more to the story.

Final Thoughts

In closing, I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes a good drama/horror and whoever likes a movie with a family dynamic. If I get the chance to watch it again, I would.

Young. Wild. Free. is streaming now on BET+.