See You Yesterday

See You Yesterday from 2017 is a high-concept blend of the sci-fi, coming-of-age, and social justice genres. Directed by Stefon Bristol and produced by Spike Lee, the movie stars Eden Duncan-Smith, Dante Crichlow, and Parish Bradley, adding a fresh take on the time-travel narrative with a powerful racial commentary that resonates with the audience.

Eden Duncan-Smith gives a captivating performance as Claudette 'CJ' Walker, a prodigious teenage girl who is focused on her work in the fields of science and invention from a very young age. Smart, sassy, and oozing talent, CJ's ultimate ambition is to invent a time machine, a feat that has eluded scientists and inventors for centuries. Sage beyond her years, CJ tackles her school projects with a maturity and analytical mind rarely found in young people her age.

Dante Crichlow plays CJ's best friend and fellow science aficionado, Sebastian Thomas. The duo share an exceptional bond that is evident in their rapport with each other. Dante skillfully portrays the level-headed and cautious Sebastian, the ying to CJ's more passionate and spontaneous yang. Sebastian joins CJ in her ambitious endeavor to build a time-traveling device out of common objects one can pick up at a general hardware store. This gives the movie an underdog story feel, as they use basic resources and their own intelligence against a problem that has stumped the most advanced scientists.

Parish Bradley plays CJ's elder brother. His role adds layers of character development to CJ, making her pursuit more personal and emotionally charged. Parish skillfully carries the part of the protective elder sibling whose own life experiences greatly influence CJ's inventiveness.

The chemistry between the actors opens avenues for comedic, serious, and insightful dialogue, making it feel real, despite the story’s fantastical elements. The film deploys time travel not as a gimmick or plot device, but as a metaphorical tool. The protagonists do not journey through time for fun or minor personal modifications, but to confront grim societal injustices. They also discover the hard way that tweaking the past can have unintended and devastating consequences in the present.

Director Bristol cleverly conveys the quantum physics behind time travel in a way that makes it comprehensible to the audience. The movie intertwines the science fiction and social commentary genres, making it unpredictable and distinct from typical time travel movies. CJ's ambition is given a compelling context as she hopes to use her invention to address systemic racial issues.

Moreover, the movie touches on real issues facing CJ and her community in Brooklyn. Cinematographer Felipe Vara de Rey captures scenes of everyday life, green backyard views, as well as grey concrete roads of Brooklyn nested between colorful borough homes, evoking a sense of authenticity. The city with its vibrant energy and diversity of people, cultures, colors, and sounds, becomes a character itself.

The narrative forces viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the realities of police violence and systemic racism, punctuated by moments of light-hearted teenage antics and inspired scientific exploration. The blend of styles in See You Yesterday delivers an incisive look at the joys and sorrows the main characters experience growing up in a predominantly black part of Brooklyn, transporting viewers between thrilling scenes of ingenuity and somber moments of harsh realities.

See You Yesterday is a thought-provoking film that deploys sci-fi elements to shed light on pressing societal issues. It is a unique blend of the cerebral and the existential, interwoven with the vibrancy, unpredictability, and energy of youth.

Though grounded in fantasy, it resonates with audiences as a realistic narrative of bravery, resilience, and teenage revolution. The film as a whole serves as a demonstration of how genre cinema can be used to explore deep social problems, providing an unforgettable cinematic experience.