Secret Society

I read the book when I was younger and loved it. This movie follows the book for the most part. Acting was definitely b movie. Started off kinda off but got better the second half of the film.

Secret Society has a few redeeming qualities, but it ultimately didn't quite hit the mark for me. One of the film's strengths is its twist, which, while somewhat predictable, does add a layer of intrigue and suspense to the story. It's the kind of revelation that might surprise some viewers and gives the plot a moment of genuine excitement.

However, the film struggles with several issues. The narrative feels disjointed and overly convoluted, making it hard to stay engaged. The buildup to the twist is often slow and weighed down by excessive exposition. Many of the characters lack depth, and their motivations aren't always clear, which makes it challenging to connect with them or invest in their fates. The pacing is inconsistent, with some scenes dragging on too long while others rush through key moments without sufficient development.

Overall, while Secret Society offers a twist that adds some interest, it falters with a muddled plot and underdeveloped characters. The film's attempts at intrigue feel overshadowed by its execution, leaving it as an uneven watch with moments of potential that don't quite come together.

I had never heard about this 2021 drama titled "Secret Society" from writers Miasha Coleman and Jamal Hill prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2022. Of course I opted to watch it, as it was a movie that I hadn't already seen. However, I had no idea what I was getting into here.

The writers actually put together a good storyline, and if you can look past the glorification of gold diggers and scam artists that Tina (played by Erica Pinkett) and Celess (played by Reyna Love) are, then there is actually a more gratifying underlaying storyline to be enjoyed here.

The character gallery in "Secret Society" was fairly interesting, aside from Tina and Celess being gold digging scammers, then they were actually also interesting characters given their personalities and their physical issues.

The acting performances in the movie were good. Initially I was looking forward to seeing Vivica A. Fox on the screen, but she only had a smaller supportive role, sadly so. However, I will say that leading actresses Reyna Love and Erica Pinkett definitely carried the movie quite well.

I found "Secret Society" to be a surprisingly entertaining movie, as I had expected it to be just another run-of-the-mill movie.

My rating of "Secret Society" lands on a six out of ten stars.

After running out of stuff to watch, I picked this one pretty much randomly, at first it felt like a modern 21st century version of cheap TV movies I used to on local cable TV channels, but unlike those it does show some impressive scenes of upscale living so it's not ugly by any means... The plot is very unique, and although some sensitive people might find it controversial, I think it's intriguing. If they had at least one good actor in the cast instead of two instagram models, a guy who appeared in a single episode of House of cards and a meme convict, and if they didn't try so hard to go full ratchet wherever they could, especially in the language, it would be a solid 9, but the way it is it's 7 minus.

From the start, I knew this was a B-grade film, and I was about to give up 15-20 mins in on a story that's been told many times before - gold diggers, and then BAM! The plot twist that will make your jaw drop. (no spoilers)

The twist may not be for everyone, but I must say, the story just keeps building and progressing so well, that there's no way anyone will not see it thru to the end. This story is based on the best selling novel of the same name by novice writer and executive producer of this film, Miasha Coleman. I'll say this... it's a story no one has ever done before, and for that, she nailed it.

What's even more impressive is that this is the first ever acting role for Reyna Love, and only the 2nd full length feature film role for Erica Pinkett, with only a handful of TV shows and short films. No, their acting wasn't great, but for amateur actors, I feel they nailed it, and any flaws in their acting, was from the lack of direction from writer and director Jamal Hill. He's not a seasoned filmmaker by any means, but having 12 directorial and 8 writing credits, I feel his directing fell short. And his screenplay, although flowed nicely with continuity and timelines, had very choppy scene cuts and edits. All the supporting cast were convincing and played their roles on point, including the infamous convicted felon turned model/actor Jeremy Meeks in his 4th acting credit.

The score was actually decent, although the sound was distant and hollow, as if someone forgot to bring the boom mic. The cinematography was good, as were the rich sets and sweet rides. Had this film been given a bigger budget for more popular actors and a better writer and director, it could've easily been at least 95% on Rotten Tomatoes - yes, the story is that unique and controversial. I'm still giving this a well deserved 7/10 for the incredible story and crazy plot twist, as well for the decent performances from literally amateur actors. It's a film that will raise your emotions one way or another, but in a surprising fashion nevertheless, and that feeling alone makes any film a success imo.