It was a Thursday night and I decided I was going to have some me time and take the night off, watch Netflix, and order pizza. I knew Netflix had just released some new films, so I was excited to see what options I could choose from. Through my search, I came across a movie titled See You Yesterday. It looked like a sci-fi movie, and it caught my attention. Little did I know, that the movie would be about so much more than teens traveling back in time.
The film follows two teenage best friends, CJ and Sebastian. The teens are aspiring inventors who have invented the time machine for a science fair competition. However, they find a greater purpose for the use of the time machine and end up trying to alter the day that CJ’s brother dies.
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CJ’s brother dies after being shot by the police, as they thought he was a suspect in a robbery. The main focus of the movie addressed an issue that many black people face in America: police brutality and the lack of concern for black lives.
The audience is left with a cliffhanger ending that leaves interpretation up to the viewers. It also brings up the question: if time travel really did exist, could more black lives be saved?
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Before watching the movie, I didn’t expect the issue of being black in America to come up, but I am glad it did, because it allowed the topic to brought to the mainstream for continued open dialogue. The movie was not only willing to talk about a tough topic, but it was also willing to allow viewers to see black teens in a way that isn’t always portrayed in movies. The two black teens were seen as smart, outgoing, and strong, and that was a nice narrative to see instead of the stereotypical struggling black student.
I can only hope that Netflix will continue to make movies such as this one and will continue the conservation for pressing and controversial issues in America.