Secret Society

A TikTok post is how I found out about this film. Having watched a few films featured on Tubi, I wasn't hesitant to take a chance in viewing this one. The production seemed good, and the storyline instantly grabbed my attention.

It gave me a birds-eye view on the lives of two beautiful, African-American, trans women.

First off, their beauty is amazing. They also dressed their asses off. I enjoyed their on-screen chemistry, and loved the friendship they had. It's refreshing seeing how two friends struggled and stayed together -- even after one hit the stable mark.

The adverse encounters with the heterosexual men were riveting, and I did feel a little sad for the girls.

I will not give any spoilers, but I will say it was, indeed, worth the watch. I'll definitely be watching Secret Society 2.

From the start, I knew this was a B-grade film, and I was about to give up 15-20 mins in on a story that's been told many times before - gold diggers, and then BAM! The plot twist that will make your jaw drop. (no spoilers)

The twist may not be for everyone, but I must say, the story just keeps building and progressing so well, that there's no way anyone will not see it thru to the end. This story is based on the best selling novel of the same name by novice writer and executive producer of this film, Miasha Coleman. I'll say this... it's a story no one has ever done before, and for that, she nailed it.

What's even more impressive is that this is the first ever acting role for Reyna Love, and only the 2nd full length feature film role for Erica Pinkett, with only a handful of TV shows and short films. No, their acting wasn't great, but for amateur actors, I feel they nailed it, and any flaws in their acting, was from the lack of direction from writer and director Jamal Hill. He's not a seasoned filmmaker by any means, but having 12 directorial and 8 writing credits, I feel his directing fell short. And his screenplay, although flowed nicely with continuity and timelines, had very choppy scene cuts and edits. All the supporting cast were convincing and played their roles on point, including the infamous convicted felon turned model/actor Jeremy Meeks in his 4th acting credit.

The score was actually decent, although the sound was distant and hollow, as if someone forgot to bring the boom mic. The cinematography was good, as were the rich sets and sweet rides. Had this film been given a bigger budget for more popular actors and a better writer and director, it could've easily been at least 95% on Rotten Tomatoes - yes, the story is that unique and controversial. I'm still giving this a well deserved 7/10 for the incredible story and crazy plot twist, as well for the decent performances from literally amateur actors. It's a film that will raise your emotions one way or another, but in a surprising fashion nevertheless, and that feeling alone makes any film a success imo.

Secret Society has a few redeeming qualities, but it ultimately didn't quite hit the mark for me. One of the film's strengths is its twist, which, while somewhat predictable, does add a layer of intrigue and suspense to the story. It's the kind of revelation that might surprise some viewers and gives the plot a moment of genuine excitement.

However, the film struggles with several issues. The narrative feels disjointed and overly convoluted, making it hard to stay engaged. The buildup to the twist is often slow and weighed down by excessive exposition. Many of the characters lack depth, and their motivations aren't always clear, which makes it challenging to connect with them or invest in their fates. The pacing is inconsistent, with some scenes dragging on too long while others rush through key moments without sufficient development.

Overall, while Secret Society offers a twist that adds some interest, it falters with a muddled plot and underdeveloped characters. The film's attempts at intrigue feel overshadowed by its execution, leaving it as an uneven watch with moments of potential that don't quite come together.

I have watched this movie twice, 1&2 just to make sure I wasn't tripping. I would like to discuss it with the producers validating the actress, actors and their roles throughout the movie. A big mistake was made!! I would go deeper in detail but it works spoil it for the other viewers. I'm currently writing a book myself that has a storyline to die for so I'm pretty concurrent with proofreading and pinpointing these type of errors. Maybe we can negotiate on one of the directors assisting me with trying my book out and possibly talk about turning my book into a movie as well. My storyline is different but has as many plot twists as this movie!

I turned this on for a movie to go to sleep on. Thought it was going to be bad actors but it was surprisingly good that I had to watch it again bc I missed the beginning. Oh and the artist songs they play are dope too.