In his directorial debut, Emmy-winning actor, Billy Porter, crafts a coming-of-age romantic comedy that combines nostalgic nods to the well-known teen melodramas of the 80s, but also channels the modern feel of inclusive and LGBTQ-led coming-of-age films such as Love, Simon and Booksmart. Anything’s Possible stars a black transgender female whose love story is heartwarming, impactful, and will leave you smiling long after the film’s conclusion.
Premise
Charismatic and confident YouTube star, Kelsa (Eva Reign), chronicles the highs and lows of her life online to help other transgender teenagers. Kelsa is smart, driven, and ready to tackle her senior year with her friends, Chris (Kelly Lamor Wilson) and Em (Courtnee Carter), by her side. Kelsa is surprised when Khal (Abubakr Ali) reveals that he’s interested in her. As the two embark on a relationship they must contend with fair-weather friends, transphobia, and the uncertainty of being yourself in a world determined to convince you that you don’t belong.
While the plot is familiar, seeing it from the point-of-view of a black, transgender teenager adds layers of freshness and originality that rarely exist when the coming-of-age dramas focus on straight, cis-gendered teens. The exploration of Khal’s realization that he is attracted to a transgender girl, and the discrimination he faces because of that, is territory that has rarely, if ever, been explored in a teen drama.
While the movie is entertaining, it also sheds an important light on what many couples go through because they don’t fit the “traditional” standards of what society believes a couple should be.
The Characters & The Actors
Eva Reign and Abubakr Ali are amazing in their respective roles as Kelsa and Khal. There’s genuine chemistry between the actors and the pair are mesmerizing to watch in all of their scenes together. Reign brings such strength and confidence to Kelsa, but also portrays the heroine with insecurities and fear simmering right beneath the surface. She is confident, but vulnerable. Has courage to spare, but still cares about what other people think of her. Kelsa is like any other teenager: she just wants to belong and be accepted by the world at large.
Ali brings a quiet confidence and sweetness to his portrayal of Khal. He’s a Muslim teen who spends his time answering questions on Reddit forums because he’s a good person and hopes to help other’s find happiness. He also laments over the fact that he doesn’t want to follow the traditional high school-to-college pipeline most of his classmates will follow. His parents have their own ideas for how he will spend his life, and it doesn’t involve trade school.
Renée Elise Goldsberry portrays Kelsa’s supportive, but stern mother. She wants her daughter to live the hassle free life she deserves, but is scared that she will be taken advantage of. Goldsberry is funny and captivating in her role, and the film could have benefited from more of her.
Both Wilson and Cater do excellent jobs in their respective roles as Kelsa’s friends, Chris and Em. Without giving too much away, it’s revealed that Em’s support of Kelsa only goes so far. There is one scene in particular involving Em and a friend of Khal’s that is heart wrenching to watch because of its insidious nature. Em does redeem herself by the end, but it falls kind of flat. Chris is the only one of the three friends to have been in a serious relationship before, and helps provide context and advice to Kelsa as her romance with Khal unfolds. An interview with Billy Porter revealed that this character originally had a bigger storyline, and it’s obvious as you watch the film. Her arc feels incomplete by the film’s close.
Overall Thoughts
As I’ve said in my reviews of shows like Hearstopper, First Kill, and Love, Victor, television and film are experiencing a time in which underrepresented groups are finally starting to see themselves represented on screen as three-dimensional, fully-realized characters without nasty and harmful stereotypes. Anything’s Possible portrays two LGBTQ teens of color falling in love and finding themselves along the way. Director, Billy Porter, and screenwriter, Ximena Garcia Lecuona, took their time crafting such an entertaining and impactful film. I’m hopeful that we’ll see more tv shows and films like this in the future.
Anything’s Possible is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Director, Billy Porter, and screenwriter, Ximena Garcia Lecuona, took their time crafting such an entertaining and impactful film.
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GVN Rating 9
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Writer. Video Essayist. Film/TV Critic. Pop Culture Enthusiast.
When he isn’t writing for Geek Vibes Nation or The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found typing away at one of the novels or screenplays he’s been working on forever.