ON THE COME UP
Starring: Jamila C. Gray, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Mike Epps, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Justin Martin, Titus Makin, Michael Cooper Jr., Sanaa Lathan, and Method Man
Director: Sanaa Lathan
QUENTIN
You know, if I’m being honest, there isn’t anything truly bad about On the Come Up. The acting is mostly serviceable (if a little CW-ish), and the pedestrian story is decent enough. However, it’s essentially a YA version of 8 Mile, which is not something I needed in my life. And, most importantly, most of the raps in the movie are awful, which is a major issue when the main character is constantly being hyped as a skilled and natural rhymer. All in all, the fact that this movie is being released direct-to-streaming on Paramount+ feels right for what it brings to the table.
ADRIANO
On The Come Up is all familiarity with nothing interesting added. It’s not without its entertainment value…the rap battle sequences can be fun, and Jamila Gray is a great lead and potential star in the making…but the script is so damn basic. I easily guessed everything that was going to happen five minutes into the movie. Luckily, there is a good version of this movie out there already. It’s called 8 Mile.
This film was reviewed by Quentin and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.