You are here:

On the Come Up

Name: On the Come Up
Director: Sanaa Lathan
Released: 2022
Duration: 115 min

Representation Score

9.1/10

Excellent

2022

PG-13

Director

Sanaa Lathan

Runtime

115 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

On the Come Up succeeds by centering a Black female protagonist who navigates both community expectations and predatory industry structures. The film avoids superficiality, instead using the protagonist's heritage and her father's legacy to build a culturally specific narrative. The film's strength lies in its refusal to rely on tired clichés, particularly regarding race and gender. By focusing on Brianna's intellect and influence, the story challenges traditional hierarchies within the music genre. However, the film remains limited in its exploration of LGBTQ+ identities and specific disability representation. While it addresses mental health pressures, it lacks characters who navigate the world through a disability lens.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does On the Come Up have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on the protagonist's hip-hop journey and family connections. It operates within a traditional framework that assumes everyone is straight and cisgender, without featuring queer identities or non-cisgender expressions.

How does On the Come Up portray gender?

Excellent

Brianna is a strong force of change, driving the plot with her lyrical skills and ambition. The film highlights the specific pressures women face in a male-dominated music industry.

How racially and ethnically diverse is On the Come Up?

Excellent

The film features a predominantly Black cast and delves into the cultural nuances of Los Angeles hip-hop. It avoids white savior clichés by keeping the story grounded in authentic Black experiences.

How does On the Come Up represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative critiques the exploitation of Black identity by the music industry. It explores the tension between personal authenticity and the demands of digital culture.

Does On the Come Up include disability representation?

Fair

There are no central characters with visible or neurodivergent disabilities. However, the film touches upon the psychological pressures and mental health issues associated with sudden fame and social media scrutiny.

Present on Screen

Strong focus on the professional intellect and ability to act of a Black female character.
Authentic exploration of Black culture and the Los Angeles hip-hop scene.
Critical examination of how the music industry commodifies identity.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit LGBTQ+ representation or queer narratives.
Minimal focus on characters with visible or neurodivergent disabilities.
Limited exploration of diverse identities beyond the central protagonist's experience.

Official Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Brianna Jackson is a gifted rapper who plans to take the battle rap scene by storm to lift up her family and do right by the legacy of her father, a local hip-hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. However, when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose on her.

How are these scores produced? →