Gayle On Film: 'Selah and the Spades' 2:12
Selah and the Spades
The new film "Selah and the Spades" is anything but your average comedic/rom-com high school romp. Fictional prep school Haldwell is run by five rival student gangs dealing in the usual vices — drugs, parties, gambling, grade manipulation and keeping the grown-ups in the dark. And Selah, the drug lord, laments that she has no capable successor to her kingdom.
In a mature soliloquy early, the gravitas is thrown down by 17-year-old Selah who laments that everyone tries to control the sexualization of young women's bodies. It's a sign that this is more reminiscent of a Shakespearean inspired adult drama than a high school musical or John Hughes inspired rom-com. While grandiose in its intentions, what results is a watchable highly stylized film about personal politics and power told through the lens of teen-hood.
Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.