I guess it’s quite fitting as the US is about to go through a presidential transition that a movie comes out about its outgoing president Barack Obama, or Barry, as he is apparently known by close friends. Though obviously a little too soon to have a movie that portrays his life as the country’s number 1, this Netflix movie instead chooses to focus on his earlier college years instead. To see the origins of what made him into the man he was. And probably uncover some of his bad habits along the way too.
And no, it’s not Netflix trying to make some political statement to show their support for the president, as this was filmed before the recent presidential elections even started and is cleverly released after the actual race on December 16 to ensure there is no potential seen for bias here. Well played Netflix, well played.
This film, directed by Vikram Gandhi, sees Devon Terrell take on the opportunity to play the role of a person we’re all widely familiar with. But he seems to be soaking up the pressure pretty well, as he gives quite a solid performance and captures a lot of the mannerisms and style of the current U.S. president.
The film also stars Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) as his girlfriend, Ashley Judd as his mother, and Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood) and Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton) as good friends. Yes people, the man had other girlfriends before he met Michelle.
It looks like a fairly straightforward movie, featuring the kind of racial uncertainty the man likely felt growing up and how it shaped his character. Barry didn’t seem to have lived too scandalous a life for us to expect anything more than this I guess. However, the movie that will come out about Donald Trump’s rise to presidency – now that will be an absolute riot.
You can view the full synopsis of Barry below:
A young Barack Obama, known to his friends as “Barry,” arrives in New York City in the fall of 1981 to begin his junior year at Columbia University. In a crime-ridden and racially charged environment, Barry finds himself pulled between various social spheres and struggles to maintain a series of increasingly strained relationships with his Kansas-born mother, his estranged Kenyan father, and his classmates.Barry is the story of a young man grappling with those same issues that his country, and arguably the world, are still coming to terms with 35 years later.
Last Updated: November 23, 2016
