Pariah
A guarded Brooklyn teenager risks family stability and close relationships to live openly as the person she is becoming.
Overview
A poignant exploration of self-discovery and the complexities of identity during adolescence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- intimate
- melancholic
- vulnerable
- reflective evening
- queer cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, intimate, and beautifully acted portrait of Black lesbian adolescence and the search for authentic self-expression.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Alike navigates lesbian desire and conflicting social identities while trying to claim an authentic adult self.
Alike’s queer self-expression is constrained by family tensions and expectations surrounding her gender and sexuality.
The film specifically follows a Black lesbian teenager in Brooklyn, making racial and queer identity inseparable from her coming-of-age experience.
The short independent drama focuses on Alike’s emotional life through close personal encounters and Brooklyn domestic and social environments.
Films like Pariah, and why
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
intimate lgbtq+ coming-of-age drama centered on identity, family pressure, and first love
Moonlight
poignant queer adolescent drama exploring sexual identity and emotional isolation
Mosquita y Mari
naturalistic lesbian coming-of-age story shaped by family conflict and self-discovery
Rafiki
emotionally grounded independent drama about queer identity and the struggle for self-expression
Movie Details
- Director
- Dee Rees
- Release Date
- 2011-12-27
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (169)
Cast
- Adepero Oduye
- Pernell Walker
- Aasha Davis
- Charles Parnell
- Sahra Mellesse
- Kim Wayans
- Shamika Cotton
- Raymond Anthony Thomas
- Afton Williamson
- Zabryna Guevara
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Pariah about?
- A guarded Brooklyn teenager risks family stability and close relationships to live openly as the person she is becoming.
- What is Pariah like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pariah as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Pariah violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Pariah.
- What did critics think of Pariah?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, intimate, and beautifully acted portrait of Black lesbian adolescence and the search for authentic self-expression.
- Which films are like Pariah?
- Films with a similar feel include The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Moonlight, Mosquita y Mari, and Rafiki.
- How long is Pariah?
- Pariah runs 86 minutes.
- Where can I watch Pariah?
- In United States, Pariah streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
