All Between Us

When you see the opening scene, you would swear you accidentally put on an old porno. The lighting is strange, the ambient sound doesn't exist, and the acting is stiff. This continues on with a really awkward storyline that never really draws you in quite enough to be immersed. You're painfully aware you're watching a movie and most of it is does not feature Tiffany Haddish. The turns in the movie are simultaneously expected but also razor sharp. Your medical bills from the whiplash you get from the sudden twists with no leadups will bankrupt you. Every character and every scene is a caricature of a caricature of a stereotype. Has anyone involved in this movie ever been to a dinner party? Had weed? Hung out with friends? Been to bars? All signs point to no. Good thing this movie is short.

After 3 years together and with an upcoming marriage, Clara and TV writer Ray have an announcement to make to their family and friends during a dinner party at their apartment. He's meeting her disapproving parents for the first time. There's her best friend Mishawn (Tiffany Haddish) with white boyfriend Ty. Clara's wannabe gangster brother Freddy brings his baby momma Aubyrn. Billy and Channel are their weed friends, and Chad is their white neighbor. Despite Clara's objection, Ray invites his best man Sam. The situation gets more complicated as secrets are revealed.

With Tiffany Haddish's rising stardom, it's no wonder that she gets half of the cover space. She has a supporting role which doesn't allow her to fully stretch her comedic skills. There's a fun discussion about a beauty contest between dick and vag at the beginning. Then a secret is revealed and her character cannot function as the sassy best friend. The secrets essentially killed this movie. If this has any chance, the central relationship has to be rock solid. The story is constructed to fail. The actors vary but mostly, it's the uneven writing and directing. The filmmaker is static mostly due to its limited setting. The characters are stuck and some of the characters are too one-note. This is a fundamentally flawed movie.

The movie starts off with a bar scene with a woman drinking water. Guy approaches her, trying to crack a joke but she shuts him down cold. Spoiler alert: This is the best part of the movie. Soon they are laughing, and you fast forward to their gorgoeous loft, where they are «preparing» for the dinner party. Ray spends a lot of time fluffing up pillows and trying to make everyrhing perfect for his first encounter with the in-laws (feel free to fast-forward here). Ironically, the loft is already perfect with food conviently «cooking» on the stove, awaiting the guests, in a spotless kitchen. Clara awaits her best friend, Mishawn, to come «help out», yet all she does is prepare the lettuce for a salad. The movie is unrealistic from the minute it begins. The acting is bad and only gets worse with the boring and reduntant storyline including characters that are trying too hard. This movie is beyond flawed.