Amazon
Selah and the Spades was picked up at last year’s Sundance Film Festival by Amazon Studios and finally hits their Prime Video service for all to see. Written and directed by Tayarisha Poe is a brilliant debut feature, Selah and the Spades is a stunning-to-look-at, well-performed piece about social integration in an established elite system and how to retain power with threats seemingly coming from every direction.
This impressive feature revolved around the title character, Selah (Lovie Simone), a senior at elite Pennsylvania school, Haldwall. Here, the student body is made up of five factions, teachers’ pets the Sea, gambling focussed Skin, the Bobbies, who organise every illegal party, the Prefects, who keep the administration unaware of the activities of the groups, and finally the Spades, of which Selah is the head. The Spades sell drugs to the students, dominating proceedings amongst the body and the other factions. As she approaches graduation, Selah is soon to depart her seat, but with no suitor in place, threats are starting to come from the other factions, notably the Bobbies, to take over their consistent domination at the top of the social tree. Selah soon meets fresher Palmoma Davis (Celeste O’Connor), a potential replacement and Selah takes her under her wing after she meets her taking photographs in the gym, home of the self-regulating Haldwall Hawks cheerleading team. When a rat is discovered amongst them, Selah must do all she can to retain her grip and position amongst the clique, and seek out the rat – a big no-no in the rules of these factions – before she is dethroned completely.
This is an impressive piece of work from feature debutante Tayarisha Poe. It is stylish and well-framed, each scene brilliantly mapped out by the writer/director and cinematographer Jomo Fray (Port Authority) does an outstanding job. The performances are also particularly good, the lead in Lovie Simone a huge stand-out in a particularly tricky role, while O’Connor also a break out as protege in waiting, Paloma. The natural flow and interaction of these characters should also be accredited to Poe’s brilliant writing and her wonderful execution directorially. It is magnificently staged.
A very different high school drama with nods to the likes of Heathers and hints of other late ’80s, early ’90s genre pieces also seep through – though this is very different – a little off-beat in nature, though able to hold your attention throughout. Stylish though naturalistic, beautiful to look at and skilfully performed.
Selah and the Spades is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
