Beyond the Lights
Relativity Media | Release Date: November 14, 2014
6.4
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 59 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
37
Mixed:
10
Negative:
12
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
8
chugheadNov 24, 2014
Rhianna meets morals! If you want to see what drove Britney Spears to her downward spiral and made Miley 'the Twerk' Cyrus an overnite sensation then this will suffice. Far from being an ethnic film, its a complicated romance that meets niteRhianna meets morals! If you want to see what drove Britney Spears to her downward spiral and made Miley 'the Twerk' Cyrus an overnite sensation then this will suffice. Far from being an ethnic film, its a complicated romance that meets nite and day. All about growing the hell up.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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3
j1trainNov 16, 2014
Could play well on MTV. I found it to be profoundly cheesy and clichéd when I saw it at TIFF. It had its moments with Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the lead role, but the glitz of fame doesn't look good on this movie.
1 of 5 users found this helpful14
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9
IndiefilmloverDec 2, 2014
First and foremost, "Beyond the Lights" is a sweet love story. Like "Love & Basketball" before, in "Beyond the Lights," Gina Prince-Bythewood uses a love story to make a comment on the role of women in the world. In "Love & Basketball" sheFirst and foremost, "Beyond the Lights" is a sweet love story. Like "Love & Basketball" before, in "Beyond the Lights," Gina Prince-Bythewood uses a love story to make a comment on the role of women in the world. In "Love & Basketball" she was essentially commenting on the impact on women of Title IX. In "Beyond the Lights" she uses the Noni Jean character to comment on the media's objectification of women (specifically women of color) and how to some degree women help perpetuate it. She makes these comments without being heavy handed or preachy. Once again Gugu Mbatha-Raw (who was recently seen in "Belle") gives a solid performance. The perfect date movie.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
TVJerryNov 26, 2014
Unlike the typical "Star is Born" framework, this film starts as the young singer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is already tormented by her fame. It's not a music industry plot at all, but a love drama about her attraction to a young cop (Nate Parker),Unlike the typical "Star is Born" framework, this film starts as the young singer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is already tormented by her fame. It's not a music industry plot at all, but a love drama about her attraction to a young cop (Nate Parker), who was assigned to protect her. Mbatha-Raw (best known as the black beauty in "Belle") takes on a very different role as this Rhiana-type sexy singer and she's completely compelling, not to mention she can sing! Parker has plenty of leading man charm (not to mention that body). The story starts with music biz glamor, but the slowly turns into a romance. Luckily, the actors handle it well, even as it deteriorates into predictable mush.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
GreatMartinNov 14, 2014
On May 16, 2014, I saw and wrote a review of a movie called “Belle” and ended it with “THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE AND YOU MUST SEE GUGU MBATHA-RAW!”

And it is still on my list of 5 of the best movies of the about 50 I have seen this year!On May 16, 2014, I saw and wrote a review of a movie called “Belle” and ended it with “THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE AND YOU MUST SEE GUGU MBATHA-RAW!”

And it is still on my list of 5 of the best movies of the about 50 I have seen this year!

Today, 6 months later, I saw “Beyond The Lights” and the bottom line is THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE AND YOU MUST SEE GUGU MBATHA-RAW! (Also Nate Parker and Minnie Driver but more about that later.)

Unless you have never seen a show business movie there isn’t a spoiler in this movie as screenwriter Gina Prince-Bythewood has written every cliché into it from the overbearing stage mother. the super star rapper who mistreats the rising star, the record producer who manipulates her and to the boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl plot. The differences are that the screenwriter is also the director who really believes in the material and performances that lift it above the clichés. Prince-Bythewood makes this a good old romance movie that we haven’t seen in awhile.

Let’s start with Gugu Mbatha-Raw who takes a role completely opposite that of the one who played Belle in the movie of that name. She is in sexy, almost not there, outfits showing off a great figure, does choreography that show of her sexuality, sings rap and a Nina Simone song, “Blackbird”, that shows off a vocal ability she could make a living at and, yes, her acting. She takes the role of a wounded bird who learns to fly free and makes it fresh and new.

Her costar Nate Parker, as police officer, Kaz, with a police captain father, played by Danny Glover, who is grooming him to enter politics with unlimited potential, shares a chemistry with Mbatha-Raw that lights up the screen. They make a good old fashioned screen couple that makes you root for them all the way, not to mention they are both very sexy looking people.

Minnie Driver as the stage mother, who can be overbearing, does such a fine job she almost steals the picture and keeps you on her side even though you know and can see the damage she has done her daughter.

Colson ‘MGK’ Baker as the super star rapper, with more tattoos than I have ever seen on an actor, along with the rest of the cast such as India Jean-Jacques, Benito Martinez, Aml Ameen and Aisha Hinds, along with others support, the stars with first class performances.

The soundtrack featuring new songs, will also introduce Nina Simone to a new generation though I wished they had her singing a couple of songs.

Though this won’t be among my top 5 pictures to see I will end it with YOU MUST SEE GUGU MBATHA-RAW and see it on the big screen!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
ScribeHardDec 16, 2014
Beyond the Lights wants to be this generation's The Bodyguard - that music-heavy romance between two unlikely people that may or may not be destined for greater love. It even has the potential to be better than that. With issues rangingBeyond the Lights wants to be this generation's The Bodyguard - that music-heavy romance between two unlikely people that may or may not be destined for greater love. It even has the potential to be better than that. With issues ranging from suicide to self-image, and from misogyny in rap to mixed-race relationships, and from paparazzi to politics, the film is positioned to go to greater depths in any of these areas in an effort to tell a better story. Instead, it prefers to wallow in shallow gloss of the imagery its own subject falls victim to.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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0
kalifaniJul 22, 2015
Very unoriginal, predictable, empty, and without depth. Wasted time watching this movie. Doesn't show any real meaning of a love. It's a cheesy romantic story.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
AcclamationDec 30, 2017
This is a rare gem.

I didn’t expect it. It’s filled with great drama and characters and doesn’t have any politics. In a way, it’s the true story of everyone that has tried to lead the Hollywood life . . . And it’s a paradoy of that in theThis is a rare gem.

I didn’t expect it. It’s filled with great drama and characters and doesn’t have any politics.
In a way, it’s the true story of everyone that has tried to lead the Hollywood life . . . And it’s a paradoy of that in the same way.
The lead character does an amazing job, and it seems, it’s lead her to other great projects. I really enjoyed the music too and I still go back to the film from time to time and watch portions of it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
DawdlingPoetNov 28, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I found this film overall a bit too predictable and even cheesy - mostly from a moralistic standpoint, in as much as the tale of a stage mum pushing her child, without her necessarily fully recognising it, has certainly been done before.

Seeing where she went and things made me think of Amy Winehouse, while other aspects of the main character made me think of Rhianna, mostly in terms of looks early on in the film (after the initial scene of her as a child). There are some nice songs played, if your ok with listening to some hip hop type music as well. The Nina Simone song Blackbird is mentioned and sung more than once in this film and I can't say I was aware of it beforehand - it was certainly a poignant song.

The performances are ok and its not a really bad film to watch as such but it felt a bit too preachy in terms of the obvious moral story side of things and I feel similar tales have been covered by multiple other Hollywood films, so to me this film didn't really stand out as such. Its not a bad film but its certainly not a great one either. Distinctly average. Would I recommend it? no, not as such due to what I just said.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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