Written and Directed by Barry Jenkins (based on the novel by James Baldwin)
Starring KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Brian Tyree Henry
Running time 1 hour and 59 minutes
MPAA rating : R for language and some sexual content

by Emmi Kurowski

There is a certain kind of film that I get very possessive over. It is MINE (it’s not). I’ll be honest, I enjoy love stories that hurt my lil heart. Not rom coms. No, no, that’s too sweet. I prefer movies that are more ambiguous, where you’re not assured that they will live “happily ever after”. I seek them out. I list ‘em endlessly. I own a museum of them, where I am the curator and could rate them in terms of how many broken hearts out of 10. Throw me in front of a Wong Kar-wai film and I’ll cry and write down quotes and commit *looks* to my memory. It’s just my thing, okay? If Beale Street Could Talk director, Barry Jenkins, (who I L-O-V-E, and who also loves MY Wong Kar-wai) is becoming a master at this style of film. Can I say “master” after seeing two of his films? Well, I’m gonna. Deal with it.