Pariah

Pariah

This is not a film for everyone. It opens at a strip club with a rapper singing a very raunchy song. We meet Alike. Is she a girl or a boy? She dresses in boy’s clothes and wears a baseball hat. On the way home in the bus she changes back into female attire. Her parents are concerned and worry that their daughter is a lesbian. The mother buys her feminine attire but the daughter is not interested.
The parents have their own problems. The father is a policeman. He cares about his daughter. He obviously is having an affair with someone.
Alike is testing the waters and trying to find her true self. She has a close female friend. They listen to music and have an affinity for each other. Alike is very bright and writes very sensitive poetry.
It is a touching story because I felt the pain of a young girl who is having a gender issue. She doesn’t have the support of her parents and is trying to work out this complex issue. Alike is actually played by a 33 year old Nigerian born actor. She is amazing in the role.
The film was a hit at Sundance. It is a coming out film of a 17 year old. I felt her struggle but believed she was going to find herself and be satisfied with her life as a lesbian.