Guava Island

So I'll start by saying the movie is enjoyable, but it has it's problematics. Biggest thing being Rihanna's character, she didn't really do anything in the film, and she just seemed so much like wasted potential, I thought she would sing at least once, but there was nothing. Secondly the major thing everyones been complaining about even the people who liked it. The movie was too short. It was too short to get attached to any of the character's, when watching Deni and Kofi on screen, I never saw them, I just saw Bino and Riri, the film is just too short to build anything up. The movie is also very guessable from the start. Now the positives of the film, The transitions of the songs were very well done, and they way they just randomly appeared was really unique, being a Bino fan it was super fun to sing along to. Then we got the aesthetic, which was super beautiful, I'm going to want a few screencaps for sure. Then of course the symbolism, lastly the Cinematography, Hiro Murai never fails to impress me, all the scenes looked beautiful. The biggest disappointment for me was not having any new Gambino music in the movie, but in all honesty if you haven't heard of Childish Gambino or don't know much about him, this might be a great chance for you to discover some of his other stuff, and you might even like the movie a lot more than me

Really this sub-feature length piece simply does not work. Not only is it derivative and unoriginal, it simply seems to be a bunch of music videos mindlessly put tougher as a "film."

And you know even the makers have no faith in it given the number of shill reviews and upvotes from single use accounts

So I'm a huge Gambino fan to the point where if anything Gambino related comes out, I'll automatically try to find all the good in it instead of the bad. Often times, I let my fandom get in the way of quality, but Glover is a man of quality. When I heard this project was going to happen, I had high hopes for it. All I knew is Hiro Murai was going to direct it which was a great sign, Glover would be in it, and he's bringing Rihanna along for the ride, how can he mess this up. And while it is his project, it's written by his brother. I liked this film, but I'm not letting my fandom get in the way of how I genuinely see this film as a film. It was structurally broken at points and I feel as if it used the excuse of being short to get away with less story telling. But the animated story at the beginning didn't do much for me and felt very cliche. The film only strived with the way it was shot and the music scenes, however since his music plays at points out of nowhere, it takes away from the movie and seems like either filler or just Donald giving us what he has already given us and that's a bit disappointing to me. Nothing in this film was new music wise and it feels like wasted potential to do something big. But again, I am a fan, and I overall enjoyed it, it does however have many flaws that hold it down from being way better. So would I recommend it? That depends, if you're a Glover/Gambino fan then go check it out, but if you don't like him, or are not a fan of his, you might want to steer clear from this one. 3/5

The cinematography is wonderful and watching Donald Glover perform is always a treat. That man can do it all!

This is a staple and a must watch.

Guava Island could have been a lavish vanity project. Instead it's a little movie with a big heart. Full of musicality, beautiful locations, cinematography and people. Charming performances and a message to boot. It's also old school in the best possible way. Don't miss it! 8/10