Amandla Stenberg gives an astonishing performance as a black teen who has to code switch to get thru her day: She blends in at her mostly-white prep school, while living in a crime-ridden, mostly-black neighborhood. After witnessing a tragic event, she begins to question her identity. What keeps this from becoming a simple adolescent melodrama is the intelligent writing that creates a solid family support system, while honestly examining the complexities of race relations. It almost borders on caricature and contrived situations. Sometimes intense, sometimes funny, this movie makes some powerful statements, while also being an affecting, absorbing and well-made film.
(4.5 / 5)