We Grown Now

This coming-of-age film captures the exuberance of childhood even as it shows the gradual encroachment of outside social pressures.

It is Baig’s vision that makes We Grown Now sing in a way that is totally incomparable. Every shot, every musical choice, everything that makes a riveting movie is on display and at its very best here.

As this frequently lyrical and touching portrait of youth reminds us, for many thousands of people over the years, Cabrini-Green was simply home.

An unassuming character study set to poetic rhythms makes for an empathetic study of Black life, full of resolve.

We Grown Now is slightly dreamy and stylized, too, but instead of a liability, it makes this very small story feel grand, poetic and cinematic — just like it would for an 11-year-old.

It’s a simple, gentle tale that’s told beautifully but feels hollow — like a eulogy for an acquaintance.

While the moments focused on the kids’ lives are the best part of the film — James and Ramirez have natural chemistry and are compelling to watch — Baig occasionally falters on that front too.

Filme muito sensível e delicado, contando o dia a dia de uma família negra em uma comunidade que lembra o "The kitchen", cercada por insegurança e à margem. Gosto muito de como os dramas estão contidos aqui, com artifícios mais naturais do que apelativos. Ainda acho que faltou um clímax, e apesar de alguns arcos meio incompletos (principalmente dos adultos), passa a sensação de que é tudo muito episódico mesmo, e foca acertadamente nas crianças, uma fofura à parte. Lindo.