Movie Review: ‘Premature’

Review by James Lindorf

Ayanna (Zora Howard) is a seventeen-year-old poet enjoying her last months at home before starting college. On a summer night in Harlem, she meets Isaiah (Joshua Boone), a charming music producer who has just moved to the city. Ayanna is confronted with the complexities of the adult world, whether she is ready or not, when the two artists are drawn into a passionate summer romance. Premature was written by Zora Howard and Rashaad Ernesto Green, who also directed, and will be available in select theaters as well as On-Demand starting February 21st.

Premature is an excellent coming of age tale told from an underrepresented point of view. Howard co-writing the script added to the natural feel of the group of four black girls who are on the precipice of adulthood and all of its responsibilities. From the opening scene until the credits roll, one of the film’s greatest strengths is the dialogue that never once feels abnormal or forced. Some discussions about rebellion, while honest and compelling, also feel a bit out of place. I wouldn’t want to remove them and cut the run time down further. I would have just preferred them to be integrated better.

The choice to shoot the film with 16mm, a medium that has been around for 97 years, adds a timeless quality. There is no question of when the film is set, its language and use of technology are very modern, but the look of the film says it could be much older. This choice may aid in the connection of viewers well past their days of teenage angst by offering an initial sense of nostalgia.

Zora is a star in the making, not just with her writing, but with her acting as well. She has to run through every single emotion from aloofness to lust, despair, and love. She handles each scene with accuracy and energy as she fully embraced the character of Ayanna. Everyone else in the film is good with no one feeling out of place or unable to carry their weight, but they are all in the running for second best.

Premature is emotionally raw, with several powerful scenes that capture 100% of the viewers’ attention and emotions. It has trouble sustaining that energy throughout its entire 91-minute runtime with the final 10 minutes featuring more silent introspection than furthering the plot or character development. While those scenes are perfectly valid and can be useful, packing so many into such a short time frame killed any energy they built up for the climax.