Movie Review: Angelfish Leaves Me Swimming In Love
Similar to Lovebirds, Angelfish 100% derives its charm from its leads. The storyline would not land, if Princess Nokia/Destiny Frasqueri was not Eva and Jimi Stanton was not Brendan; the two bringing a humble rawness to the story that breathes fresh air to it blatant tropes. Written and directed by Peter Andrew Lee, Angelfish may hail to classic, romantic plot twists, but its diverse casting, BX setting, and stunning quietness allows audiences to feel refreshed by the cinematic love brewing on the screen.
Out May 27, on Tubi, I was enveloped by Angelfish from the start. You know you have made something special when your viewers are yelling at the screen, “THEY NEED TO BE TOGETHER!” Of course, our lovebirds face the sabotaging family members, racism, judgmental friends, personal responsibilities, and the uncertainty of their own dreams. Eva is about to go to college for accounting, but she wants to be an actress, while Brendan works at a deli and is trying to keep his mother and brother from endangering themselves. Thus, any energy he has for a dream lies in Eva and her desires for her future and him. It is in THIS truth that Frasqueri and Stanton build the film’s chemistry.
Angelfish – Official Trailer – Princess Nokia, Jimi Stanton
Princess Nokia is an actress Y’ALL!!!!!!! WEPA!!!!!!!! She brings a sweetness and emotive silence to Eva, while Stanton makes Brendan your dream guy: a man who is strong, supportive, generous, and communicates his love through tenderness. Andrew Lee gives us enough moments or fun and intimacy between the couple for the viewer to believe they ACTUALLY like each other. Moreover, the trials they face transition from tropes to realism because they are two people trying to cross racial bounds while confronting the classism that tethers them. They may be young but they have too many responsibilities to feel like they can easily love each other and face them all. Yet, the romance of Angelfish stems from how, when you really like someone, that person feels easy to you, even if your bond leaves society uneasy.
