You People
NetflixKenya Barris’ You People has a premise that has been done many times before: a couple, who are madly in love, confront their families who don’t necessarily approve of the union. This time, the couple is played by Jonah Hill and Lauren London. Ezra (Hill) is a Jewish stockbroker who accidentally meets Amira (London) after mistaking her for an Uber driver. Feeling bad about the mix-up, Ezra invites Amira to lunch and they both hit it off. Six months later, Ezra proposes to Amira, though without meeting her parents, played by Eddie Murphy and Nia Long.
But there’s also another problem for the young couple, Ezra’s parents (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Duchovny) are crazy. His mom tries to impress Amira by saying things that are completely out of line about Black people that predictably backfire while her dad, Akbar (Murphy), hates Ezra and will do everything he can to sabotage the marriage. By this point, audiences probably will have an idea of how this will end. Yes, the parents will eventually apologize and things will go Ezra and Amira’s way, but the fun of watching a movie like You People is figuring out how that will happen. Unfortunately, most of the movie is quite boring and wastes its incredible talent in an embarrassing fashion.
The only one that walks out of this picture unscathed is Eddie Murphy who continues to prove why Hollywood needs more of him, and not less. After a series of duds, Murphy returned triumphantly with Dolemite is My Name, and has since embarked on a new venture in the world of comedy. That’s not saying that all of his movies will be good, Coming 2 America certainly had some problematic parts, but Murphy has always been on top form. His sense of comedic timing here is hilarious, as he plays Akbar amazingly dry. He doesn’t force his punchlines, they come in naturally and surprise the audience in the process. The way he keeps a straight face the entire time adds to the absurdity, and he’s the only reason why anyone would want to watch You People.
The rest of the actors are a bit embarrassing to watch. Hill and London are fine, but their chemistry isn’t that palpable to watch. However, they’re not that bad compared to Julia Louis-Dreyfus who not only embarrasses herself in the character, but as an actor as well. None of the lines she says are funny, and her delivery seems to completely miss the mark on her character. Duchovny is fine but is completely wasted, and when paired with Louis-Dreyfus, Barris puts the spotlight on her as opposed to him, which makes his presence feel pointless.
It doesn’t help that most of the movie is unfunny — yes, a film like this is supposed to feel uncomfortable and cringeworthy. That’s part of the charm. But it shouldn’t feel uncomfortable and unfunny. If that’s the case, the movie won’t recover. And unfortunately, You People falls flat rather quickly, even if Murphy does his best to salvage the material. There really isn’t a talent quite like Eddie Murphy in Hollywood, and he’s the main reason why the film is a must-see. He hasn’t had many opportunities after the failed Norbit, but he is more than due for a comeback. Here’s hoping that his next few films, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley and Candy Cane Lane, are better than whatever the hell You People was.