Movie review: Why Netflix’s Supacell is the series everyone is talking about

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Supacell, was all over because it featured DJ Cuppy, innit! She was just in the first episode barely for a few seconds, mandem. There are other things to lobe about the series. As much as I love to watch movies, I am not one to watch movies because they are hyped or something. I discover the series on my own or except I’ve got one of my favorite actors then it is on my next watch list.

I saw Supacell as Netflix’s recommended watch but I ignored it until my mate who isn’t always impressed by movies made all the reactions I have ever seen while she was watching it. Then, I knew I had to watch it.

The series was a plus for me because I’ve always wanted to sharpen my British accent. Luckily for me, the street South London accent by most of the characters was a thrilling language experience for me.

Wagwan, fam! Now, to the movie review. Spoiler Alert! Don’t read the next paragraphs if you have not watched the series.

The dominance of black characters and the infusion of black culture

First of all, the first scene was mild and I was expecting more. We met Tayo Amusan’s mum in the first episode, and truth be told, the characterization was a 10/10 for me. Her African 4c natural hair was on point. The characters were black dominated and that gave me goosebumps. Almost all Black cast in a British movie with the correct characterization, a revolution!

In black cultures, respect for parents is optimal. Regardless of who Tayo also known as Taser mode of lifestyle, he still accorded respect to his grandmother. He cleared her plates after she was done eating. That is a proper inference to the Yoruba culture.

I was hoping there would be an identity mix-up with the namings and all but I was amazed by the perfect casting and characterization. It was that too-good foreign black movie I have always dreamt of.

The reason for the characterization wasn’t far-fetched. The characters were descendants of parents with sickle cell. This trait mostly affects the Black hence why most of the characters were black.

A part of me would want to think that if not for the basis of the plot, the black-dominated characters might not have been so. But I would like to soak myself in the Black Supacell reality. You hardly see a black-saturated superhero movie around. This makes Supacell a class of its own. The meticulousness of the director and casting management to painstakingly choose characters that would bear the embodiment of black culture is one I admire.

I heard Asake’s song as a soundtrack! Groove to that, Naija to the world! Tayo’s grandma eating egusi with a morsel while representing the Yoruba culture in her native Ankara prints.

Michael and Dionne, the romantic vibe of the series

In the first episode, I was jotting lessons from Dionne Ofori about how to discard catcallers. She was dishing it out steadily to her catcaller- “my boyfriend is my best friend… I’m not looking for anymore”. I was giving the feminist nod until it was revealed that the catcaller was actually her boyfriend and they were only roleplaying. Oh, damn! That caught me unaware, I didn’t see that one coming. Dionne and her boyfriend, Michael, were the Romeo and Juliet of the series.

The series, Supacell is based on Michael and other superhero folks but Michael had more of the plot based on him this season. Like the Batman of Justice League, Michael is somewhat the Batman of Supacell only that he is broke.

Jokes on me! Michael played by Tosin Cole appeared to have diverse superpowers such as teleporting, time travelling and stopping time. His powers give Number 5’s vibes in Umbrella Academy. These powers can be a mess because you’re always trying to stop something from happening.

A replay of Peter and Gwen Stacy’s tragic love story

Michael gathered all the other folks so that they could stop the bad guys or somewhat save his girlfriend. If you have watched Flash or other movies based on time travel, you know you can’t change the course of time without grave consequences.

Messing with time is not something a superhero can manipulate. If we really can see the future, can we stop something bad from happening without creating a bigger mess? It’s the same with trying to change the past to stop something from happening in the future. The last Flash movie really fully explains it.

And when Dionne dies in Supacell, it felt like a déjà vu. It triggers my memory to Gwen Stacy’s death in Amazing Spiderman 2. Peter tries to save Gwen but his efforts proved abortive. Though, he didn’t see the future.

The mystery of death is one of the factors that makes it scary. But there’s nothing scarier than knowing the day you die. Some people think it would make than plan well but the truth of the matter is that it puts you on edge and that feelings and actions that springs up from that feeling light kill you before that death date. Dionne’s fate in Supacell proves that.

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The concept of sexual and domestic violence in the movie

Sharleen, Sabrina’s sister on two occasions was sexually harassed in this movie. It is actually the audacity of men sometimes thinking they have their way treating women irresponsibly. Sabrina’s superpower in the movie can be likened to Marvel’s Scarlet Witch. She can literally move things. Sabrina’s boyfriend cheated on her and was more interested in the reason she came visiting after he rainchecked on his date with her.

The sisters definitely got an edge with Sabrina’s super powers to deal with their abusers -something all women want to have.

Sixers, the comic relief factor

Sixers is Taser’s gang which comprised Taser, Skreamer, Twosie, Tiny and Dots. They are Taser’s gang members who want to run the streets of South London. At the inception of the movie, it appeared as if they were on the losing team with their rival gang, having an edge against them. But when Taser discovers his superpower of invisibility, the Sixers Gang were more than even with the other gangs in South London.

Twosie, a member of Sixers Gang brought the comedy rizz to the movie. He plays with Michael’s intelligence when he was inquiring about Taser. And also, the reaction of the sixers when Taser showed them his invisibility superpower was dramatic.

Rodney and Spud, our model friendship duo

Just like Flash, Rodney discovers he has the superpower of speed. This super- power was a game changer for his drug selling business. His friend, Spud does not see the power as something Rodney should use for personal gain. And when Spud said that Rodney exposing his power would definitely out him trouble, he was right. He even convinces Rodney to help Michael look for the rest of the squad.

André, the Hulk of the Supacells

André is a broke divorcee who can’t even provide child support for his son, AJ. On one of his frustration sagas, he punches an ATM machine and the effect was extraordinary. This act sent out a signal to the preying organization who has been keeping watch of individuals with supacells.

André tries his best to protect his son from the street gang but till the end of the movie, it was impossible. We hope to see him do better in the next season.

Here is my conclusion

Like every superhero movie, the superheroes are introduced to the viewers when they are at their lows-struggling with life then discovering their superpower which becomes a game changer for them. It goes on a superhero cliché slope too. There is always this one person who gathers the rest of the mutant to save the world or the people they love the most. There always is that organization who always puts the mutant under control for their personal gain mostly. It always a tussle of power,the bad and the good guys.

The movie rates 6.6/10 on IMDb. Actually, I expected more. Rapman created a masterpiece, a class of its own. We are hopefully waiting for a second season, at least an announcement. There is no way Netflix is cancelling the show. Supacell is the superficial movie that delights Black people. We have got faith that more masterpieces in this kind of genre is in store in the creative database of Black creatives