Umnia El-Neil is a British-Sudanese culture opinion writer and Shonda Rhimes TGIT Graduate.
Reviews
When I first watched the trailer for Challengers, I only got about 5 minutes of happiness and glee in before I had two thoughts. 1. A film with a black girl being desired by two hot white guys? This kissing scene is probably the only scene where that happens. This
Reviews
To commemorate ‘Strange Way of Life’ now being available on Netflix, I’m bringing back my review from my old Substack, for your reading pleasure. Though this review will contain spoilers, it will not include a synopsis, so it will make the most sense only after you have seen the
I have had an intense time trying to wrestle with my gender. Not to be all “Black, bigger girl who talks too much”, but my experience in the world has been that I’m not lady enough to be liked, and certainly not Ladylike. I will sometimes be awarded the
Festivals
There’s something really powerful and a little emotional about sitting in a cinema screening room surrounded by Old Lesbians, in their two’s. At BFI Flare, I found myself in such a situation, watching two stellar Documentaries, back to back. I will give each of them a moment, and
I’m usually thrown off at the IMAX. Too Loud, too big. Some people need that, but with me, it’s like sending an unnecessarily large voltage through very sensitive equipment. Ex Machina in IMAX is elite. What I’ve always enjoyed about the film is that a) I agree
Reviews
If I admit I was delirious, walking into that Picturehouse that day, then I must concede also that it was a very, very weird day for me - the first of a week of them, all of my own doing. That morning, I had read something that I knew was
Festivals
‘Slow’ has made it from last year’s Sundance, by way of Lithuania’s Academy Award International Feature Film entry, all the way to me at this year’s BFI Flare. It is the first film I’ve ever encountered to discuss, depict, and fully paint out the very bare-bones
Festivals
Sent directly from the West Hollywood Gays that called the disco home, Studio One Forever is an incredibly detailed account of the glittering and star-studded history of the iconic venue, and the efforts to prevent its teardown. Before Studio 54, there was Studio One — a place that brought a New
I heard echoes of Shiva Baby when it was released — I was too occupied with irrelevant things to realize the disturbance in the force. I encountered the future stars of Bottoms, in Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies) and Ayo Edibiri (The Bear) out in the wild, and slowly, word got
7 from this year, 7 from years past 2023 Films you may have missed, which is a crime! 7. Theater Camp The lightest fare on this list, and still manages to punch in the gut. This one’s for the annoying musical theatre kids to have some healing and representation,
Watchlists
Where to start, tools to use, and how to mentally approach it.