I’m not sure I’d call this “breakthrough film,” after all See You Yesterday is simply another clumsy time travel experience. Then again, I cannot recall the last time Spike Lee produced sci-fi, can you? I think it’s fantastic that black film can partner with the genre of sci-fi. Why shouldn’t it? I can probably count on one hand the number of black people sci-fi films I’ve seen. Take away Jordan Peele, and I think the last was Attack the Block.
CJ (Eden Duncan-Smith) and Sebastian (Danté Crichlow) are science prodigies. Often, a story like this will tell us about how difficult life is in the projects and how a bright mind is going to waste because education is a luxury most of us take for granted. Yeah, that’s a different film. In this one, CJ and Sebastian are building a time machine as a tool to afford college. Dream big, fellas, dream big.
In their first exploration of breaking the space-time continuum, these two use the greatest scientific power heretofore unknown to mankind to –and I’m not making this up- pick a fight with CJ’s ex. For all those who make fun of Back to the Future for mediocre use of time travel, try using it for the purpose of “winning” an argument with a slushee. For fun, Michael J. Fox has a cameo as the science teacher of CJ and Sebastian. See, this film is much more tangible than you imagine.
Right about the time CJ and Sebastian are playing Battle of the Exes, CJ’s brother Calvin (Astro) is shot dead by police. This, of course, becomes the remaining plot of the film. And the film has no problem reaching the conclusion it came for: racism is stronger than science. Watch any Trump rally and you’ll know this is true, and yet I find said statement stronger when it comes from this vantage point. Now think about that for a sec –you can travel through time, change anything in the world you want to change thanks to advanced knowledge … and racism will still prevail. The writer/director of this composition is Stefon Bristol, yet this has “Spike Lee” written all over it, huh?
One of the problems with See You Yesterday is the imbalanced ratio of Poindexters to simpletons. The film introduces two smarties and zero complementary average Joes. This is a problem. It’s like having a Back to the Future with two Docs and no Martys. You need somebody to explain to us what’s going on; you can’t just assume mad science because science. Also, for minds so brilliant they figured out how to master time travel, these jokers are incredibly bad at envisioning any scenario by which history changes.
An odd combination of soft science fiction and loud social commentary, See You Yesterday is both moving and frustrating. I wanted the kids to succeed; I wanted the story to veer towards social justice, and yet, I found myself wanting to reach into the picture –constantly- and beg CJ to think about what she hopes to accomplish. For somebody with all the time and brains in the world, CJ approaches too many situations hoping the “wing it” thing will prevail. Genius is even better at flourishing when given the opportunity. A half-hearted thumbs up here; I would like to see the version of See You Yesterday with a happy ending … but perhaps that’s the point.
You may handle with all delicate grace-ism
Or master the power of displace-ism
You may have super power
Yet the lesson is sour
What’s stronger than sci-fi is racism
Rated TV-MA, 84 Minutes
Director: Stefon Bristol
Writer: Fredrica Bailey, Stefon Bristol
Genre: Black to the Future
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: People hoping sci-fi would delve more into social justice
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: The same people who think BLM is responsible for our national ills.
