Romantic comedies are notorious for being trite, predictable and relatively shallow. Most follow a predetermined format in which one person meets another and they fall in love, outside pressures try to crush their relationship and resilience ultimately allows their bond to prevail. But while this setup rarely produces an Oscar-winning film, that does not mean it can’t lead to a decent movie. Netflix’s “You People” is proof of this fact.
“You People” follows the relationship between broker and podcaster Ezra (Jonah Hill) and designer Amira (Lauren London). The falling-in-love part of the film is relatively mutual; after Ezra mistakes Amira for an Uber driver, the two immediately hit it off and enter a honeymoon period. If not for their parents, Ezra and Amira’s relationship would probably be one of neverending bliss — but romance can’t be that easy, or there would be no movie. Ezra is white and Jewish while Amira is black and Muslim, and because of their conservative families, this soon begins to cause some problems within their relationship.
Ezra’s mother Shelley (Julia Louis-Dreyfrus) has good intentions throughout the film but tends to overcompensate for the differences between her family and Amira’s through incredibly ignorant acts. Amira’s father Akbar (Eddie Murphy) may be much more polished, but he’s as unyielding as traditional patriarchs can get — he cannot stand the thought of a white man marrying his daughter.
The first time Ezra and Amira’s families meet, it’s to discuss their upcoming wedding. Immediately, racial and religious differences between the families become strikingly apparent. Somewhat inadvertently, Shelley compares the Holocaust to slavery, leading to Amira’s parents becoming incredibly insulted, and the night ends with Akbar’s favorite kufi engulfed in flames. Despite understanding that their parents’ behavior is unacceptable, Ezra and Amira can’t help but defend them, which forces their relationship out of the honeymoon period as doubts about their compatibility begin to surface.
Because “You People” follows the standard rom-com trajectory, it’s no surprise that the movie has a happy ending. Ezra and Amira eventually reunite, Shelley and Akbar realize just how absurdly they’ve been acting and bliss is forever sealed with a kiss. The final moments of the film are hardly surprising, but they still feel incredibly rushed. Abruptly, almost comically, Ezra and Amira’s relationship takes a complete one-eighty. It feels as if the movie was working on a clock and failed to properly budget its allotted runtime.
What makes “You People” stand out from typical rom-coms is mainly its use of edgy, mildly risky humor. Given that most of the film revolves around cultural differences, viewers have to go into it with a very open mind. Wildly offensive things are said by Ezra’s parents, but these lines are satirical and intentionally draw the audience’s attention to their absurdity. The film shines a light on the blind ignorance of its characters, a purposeful self-awareness that is executed well enough to make “You People” genuinely funny.
But despite the intended levity of Shelley’s character, viewers cannot help but remember that some people really do think like her. Shelley’s words, however awful at times, are seen by many people as true. “You People” balances this type of comedy with steadfast progressivism, advanced by Ezra, his hilarious best friend Mo (Sam Jay) and Amira. Each of these characters, through both confrontational moments and more passive ones, expose the problems of conservatism and ignorance in today’s society.
The ease of Ezra and Amira’s relationship also helps “You People” stand out within the genre. Although all romantic comedies rely upon a natural connection between their protagonists, Ezra and Amira really do seem to have something special. Their ability to remain together despite differences that initially appear irreconcilable is undeniably impressive. It truly seems as if the two were meant to be.
Despite “You People’s” relatively bland structure, the content of the film is incredibly heartwarming. It’s certainly a feel-good, funny movie, but to simply say that would fail to award credit where it’s due. What’s most impressive about “You People” is its ability to remain culturally aware and the film’s willingness to confront its own place in time and history.
Rya is an arts & culture section editor from Albany, NY. She is a junior studying English and Literary Arts, and her favorite TV show is Breaking Bad.
