Synopsis
Four college students attend an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over an "African-American" themed party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in 'post racial' America while weaving a story about forging one's unique path in the world.
Your Movie Library
Cast
- Brittany CurranSophie Fletcher
- Peter SyvertsenPresident Hutchinson
- Kyle GallnerKurt Fletcher
- Tessa ThompsonSamantha White
- Kate GaulkeAnnie
- Dennis HaysbertDean Fairbanks
- Justin DobiesGabe
- Brandon AlterGeorge
- Tyler James WilliamsLionel Higgins
- Marque RichardsonReggie
Recommendations
- 100
Slant Magazine
Like the movie itself, every character is a beautiful swirl of contradictions. - 90
Village Voice
The small miracle of the movie is that Simien finds so many laughs in what are genuinely bewildering issues. - 80
Time Out
A title like that needs balls of brass to back it up. Luckily, this fiery college comedy from feature-debuting writer-director Justin Simien, loosely inspired by a series of scandalous black-face parties at all-white fraternities, is full of punchy intelligence and barely concealed anger. - 75
The Playlist
It’s an American film that talks about race with strong feeling, common sense and good humor; it’s an indie screenwriting-directing debut as polished as it is provocative; it’s a satire that also lets its characters be people; it’s a showcase of clever craft and direction as well as whip-smart comedic writing brought to life by a dedicated, charismatic cast that also conveys real ideas and emotion. - 75
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Simien focuses too much on the character played by his star, Williams, which seems a mistake. Scenes are underscored with classical music chestnuts, a trite way of suggesting “academia.” And the ending is an eye-roller. - 75
TheWrap
The four main actors, all uniformly excellent, can wrap their tongues around Simien's verbose dialogue, but some of the minor actors have a harder time, resulting in several jokes falling flat. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Simien intensifies the impact of both action and dialogue with a self-reflexive directorial style that creates a marginally heightened sense of reality, revealing more about characters' motivations than would conventionally be expected. - 63
New York Post
“It’s a little self-congratulatory and light on story,” says one student of another’s film project in Dear White People, which feels like director Justin Simien getting out ahead of inevitable (and accurate) criticism.
