Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen, based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 15+
Affecting if uneven coming-of-age drama; language, violence.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Who Are You People is an indie coming-of-age drama about a 16-year-old girl (Ema Horvath) who runs away from boarding school to find her biological -- and until recently unknown -- father. It has mature themes, with conversations about inappropriate sexual relationships, infidelity, rape, alcohol dependency, religion, sexual orientation, and the cycle of abuse and physical violence. Frequent strong language includes "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," and the slur "f--got" said by a queer character. The characters are mostly White, with one queer, one Black, one brown-skinned, and one Christian supporting character. Teen characters discuss sex and virginity, and one couple kiss and make out with the intent to have (protected) sex but stop. Violence is domestic in nature, with an adult son physically provoking his abusive elderly father and a police officer pointing a gun at the son.
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Language
a lot
Lots of strong language, including "f--k" (as exclamation and verb), "s--t," "bulls--t," "ass," "a--hole," and more. Someone is called "jailbait." A queer teen says the slur "f--got" is what others think of him.
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Violence & Scariness
a little
A man threatens and pushes his father, who was abusive to him in the past. A police officer points his gun at a violent man during an altercation. Multiple references to a man's drunken aggravated assault of a younger man. Spoiler alert: A 16-year-old and her adult teacher kiss and make out. She tells him she's not a virgin, so "it's OK." Other characters reference a date rape that led to pregnancy.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
Two teens kiss and later make out on a bed with the intent to have sex (they discuss getting a condom), half-undressed (one in a bra and jeans, the other shirtless and in underwear). But they don't have sex. A teen tells her friend "your vag is not a sacred temple" and to just have sex. They also discuss the prevalence of herpes. Spoiler alert: A teen kisses a young teacher, who stops her but then returns the kiss. They end up horizontal on a sofa together.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
A character falls off the sobriety wagon by drinking nearly an entire bottle of liquor. He drinks, drives, and subsequently gets violent.
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Products & Purchases
very little
JanSport backpacks, a couple of car makes and models.
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Positive Messages
some
Encourages empathy and open and honest communication between parents and teens. Promotes getting help, via therapy, for trauma, substance use/abuse, and marital problems.
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Positive Role Models
some
Alex is impulsive and self-deprecating but wants to have a clearer sense of self and her parentage. Alex's parents are attentive and loving, but they're disappointed with her choices. Karl asks for forgiveness for his violent past and wants to be in his biological daughter's life. Sarah is forgiving and kind.
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Diverse Representations
a little
Most main characters are White; an English teacher is cued as South Asian (he's played by Indian actor Siddharth Dhananjay). Alex's best friend is brown-skinned but of ambiguous cultural heritage. Alex meets a White, queer/pansexual supporting character who's dealing with unsupportive, evangelical Christian parents. A police officer is Black. He challenges Alex's presumption that people are just gay or straight by discussing pansexuality. Although Alex initially assumes that all Christians are judgmental and closed-minded, Sarah is loving and loyal, understanding the challenges that Karl faces with substance use and anger management. A woman realizes that she needs to get professional therapy to process her complicated feelings about being raped by a man she cared for.
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Who Are You People
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What's the Story?
WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE follows 16-year-old Alex (Ema Horvath), who lives a privileged life in Portland, Oregon, with her mother (Alyssa Milano), father (John Ales), and younger twin sisters. Alex is relatively friendless at her high school and spends time with her young English teacher, Rohan (Siddharth Dhananjay). After her boundary-crossing relationship with the teacher is discovered, Alex is sent to boarding school. But instead of actually attending, she impulsively decides to deceive her parents and look for her recently discovered biological father, Karl (Devon Sawa), and get to know him. Karl, a recovering alcoholic who lives with his religious, child-free cousin Sarah (Yeardley Smith), isn't thrilled to meet the child he didn't even know existed. The longer Alex stays with Karl, the more she realizes she doesn't know about him, her mother, or her origin story.
Is It Any Good?
Horvath gives a memorable performance in writer-director Ben Epstein's affecting coming-of-age drama, which focuses on the impulsive, vulnerable Alex's character development. This isn't a typical teen drama centering on an unrequited or blossoming romance, a conflicted circle of friends, or a dramatic/bullying situation at school. Alex is lonely and feels like the odd person out of her otherwise perfect family. Parents may cringe at her many misguided and downright dangerous decisions, but there's an authenticity to her often impulsive, occasionally reckless behavior. Alex's choices seem believable thanks to Horvath's portrayal; she evokes an appearance of surety that only adolescents can convey. Although Alex is desperately in need of structure, she also needs to be listened to -- and, more than anything, she craves the truth.
The adult actors are all in fine form, although both dad actors do their share of scenery chewing with blustery, aggressive performances. Milano, on the other hand, is quietly powerful as a woman who hasn't fully processed a traumatic event that she keeps hidden. One minor misstep is turning Alex's connection with Arthur (Reid Miller), whom she meets while attending church with Karl and Sarah, into something more than friendship. They have little chemistry, and the hint of romance is unnecessary to Alex's character development. And the story's big twist isn't ever fully explored, but it's a strength of the film that it doesn't end in a tied-up, tidy way. Ultimately, this is a unique and thought-provoking film about forgiveness and family and is a welcome change from the typical high school teen drama.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the family relationships in Who Are You People. Why does Alex feel alone? How can Alex and her parents, including Karl, heal their relationships?
Discuss Alex's various decisions. Which ones did you agree with, and which ones are concerning?
Do you consider anyone in the movie a role model? If so, which character strengths do they display?
Are people always deserving of forgiveness? Do they have to earn it? How do you move forward after someone has wronged or hurt you?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 24, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : February 24, 2023
- Cast : Ema Horvath, Alyssa Milano, Devon Sawa
- Director : Ben Epstein
- Inclusion Information : Female actors
- Studio : Gravitas Ventures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Adventures, High School
- Character Strengths : Communication, Empathy
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating : NR
- Last updated : April 24, 2024
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