Selah and the Spades
Edgy, drug-filled look at dark side of upscale prep school.
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Based on 1 review
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Selah and the Spades
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Selah and the Spades is a drama set in an East Coast private school. First-time writer-director Tayarisha Poe has created a vibrant world that begins and ends at Haldwell School. It's an unsettling place with five underground factions, predominantly led by girls, that divide the power structure. With the exception of a few scenes that include adults or take place off campus -- purposefully, no teacher is ever shown -- the students, especially one powerful senior girl, make and enforce the rules far from the eyes of school authorities. Underage drug use (psychedelics, cocaine, marijuana) and drinking are core elements of the story. Extended scenes show kids partying and getting stoned and drunk, as well as buying and selling both drugs and alcohol. Two teens appear bloodied and badly hurt after off-camera beatings. Occasional profanity includes "f--k," "s--t," "slutty," and "hell." This character-driven movie with serious themes and a pervasive tone of foreboding and menace is best for mature teens and up.
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What's the Story?
In SELAH AND THE SPADES, the Spades control the import and distribution of drugs in Haldwell School and Selah (Lovie Simone) controls the Spades. It's her senior year. A gifted student and cheer squad leader, Selah is under pressure from a demanding mom (Gina Torres) and an ongoing rivalry with Bobby (Ana Mulvoy Ten), the leader of another faction. Power is the only antidote to Selah's latent insecurity, and she wields it relentlessly. Enter Paloma (Celeste O'Connor), a new junior on scholarship. There's an immediate rapport between Selah and Paloma, and the older girl sees this as an opportunity to groom her successor. Unfortunately, at the same time, Maxxie (Jharrel Jerome), Selah's second-in-command, is underperforming. A romantic relationship has distracted him. Mistakes are made. Bobby's getting more aggressive, and Paloma finds her footing and begins her own stealth campaign. Selah's fragile core is threatened, and she begins to unravel at precisely the wrong time.
Is It Any Good?
An impressive blending of both style and substance, along with masterful performances from young actors and stellar camera work, grace this debut film from Tayarisha Poe. In Selah and the Spades, Poe shows a wonderful gift for working with the cast, and an inventive, original way of storytelling. Lovie Simone as Selah and Celeste O'Connor as Paloma are front and center for most of the movie. It's astonishing how much sympathy and rooting interest Simone elicits even when cruel and power-hungry, and how expertly O'Connor covers a steely inner core with gentle submissiveness. Though the story and messages of the piece are disturbing, it's an incisive and original way to portray the power structure inherent in many subcultures.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the drug use portrayed in Selah and the Spades. Are the party scenes more scary than exciting, or the opposite? How does the camera work (visual images) and music magnify the effects of drugs and alcohol? Were there consequences for the behavior? Were you surprised at the involvement of the very young students in drug distribution?
What is your take-away from the last sequence, and in particular, the last shot in the movie? Do you think any of the three teens have been changed by what has happened? If so, how?
The first line of end credits read: "A Film by Everyone." Film is a collaborative art, but usually only the director's name appears there. What do you think Tayarisha Poe was saying to her audience?
Paloma is described as a scholarship student. How does this fact impact the story, Paloma's relationships, and the audience's expectations?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: April 17, 2020
- Cast: Lovie Simone, Celeste O'Connor, Jharrel A. Jerome
- Director: Tayarisha Poe
- Studio: Amazon
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Friendship, High School
- Run time: 97 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: teen drug content, language
- Last updated: February 27, 2022
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