Billy Porter makes his directorial debut with the new Prime Video film Anything’s Possible, which I am absolutely not the target audience for. That doesn’t mean I couldn’t get anything out of it though, because everyone should be able to take something out of this film.
This is a film made for Gen Z, a generation that is fighting hard for equality and the right to live as who they are. The main character of the film, Kelsa, exemplifies this as a black trans girl (played by Eva Reign) navigating her senior year of high school.
Anything’s Possible Review
An Orion Pictures Release Photo credit: Tony Rivetti © 2022 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The film being set in high school will feel very familiar, especially to Mean Girls through Elsa wanting to be a zoologist and comparing people to animals. Also, all high school films have similar elements to them because high school is a common experience that everyone can relate to. What sets it apart from previous high school films is that it plays into Gen Z and how connected they are with technology, especially to their phones and texting during school. Reddit and YouTube play a prominent role as well for both main characters; Khal using Reddit and Kelsa using YouTube as they navigate their feelings for each other.
Eva Reign and Abubakr Ali have great chemistry together, which is important because they are the heart of the film. It’s also nice to see a relationship in a film between a black trans woman and an Egyptian Muslim straight man. Representation matters and everyone deserves to see themselves on screen, as well as everyone else acknowledging that every relationship is different. Just because a relationship doesn’t look like yours, doesn’t make it wrong. It does try to tackle a lot of trans issues at once, from acceptance in general to bathroom bans and more; at times, it feels like too much but I respect the effort and attention put on these issues.
Also Read: Don’t Make Me Go Review: Good Movie, Great Performances
The biggest name among the supporting cast is Renée Elise Goldsberry, most known for her role as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. She plays Selene, Kelsa’s mother and she and Eva have a great relationship, though at times it comes off as more of a sisterly relationship than a mother/daughter one. This is probably in part to her trying to be a cool mom, but at times it’s a little over the top. The other high schoolers are fine but they play stereotypical roles, from the overprotective Chris to the transphobic Otis. They help move the plot forward but are good to have in the background, not the forefront.
Overall, this is a nice directorial debut for Billy Porter and I hope he continues to use his platform to tell stories like Anything’s Possible. I also hope that Eva Reign and Abubakr Ali will get more work after this film because they are two talented actors who make the film worth the watch. If you take one thing away from this film, it’s this: keep your heart and mind open, because we have more in common than we are different (whether you like it or not).
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