Entergalactic is an animated film (which was initially set up as a series, but Netflix presents it in one 92-minute chunk) that introduces a new album by Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi. Instead of introducing the songs via a bunch of loosely connected videos, though, the album is presented through an animated story that’s a classic romcom.
ENTERGALACTIC: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Jabari (voiced by Kid Cudi) has just moved into his dream loft in lower Manhattan, having signed on with a comic publisher who wants him to write a series about his street art character Mr. Rager (Keith David). On his first night moving into his new place, he runs into his ex Carmen (Laura Harrier), who is very interested in seeing him again. After hanging out with his buddies Jimmy (Timothée Chalamet) and Ky (Ty Dolla $ign), he decides to take Carmen up on her offer for a drink. It leads to a drunken night and him waking up in her bed; she thinks things are rekindled but he says he’s not ready for anyone right now.
That is, until he meets Meadow (Jessica Williams), his new next door neighbor. They’ve been having near-miss encounters for a few days, but they lock eyes when her party keeps him up in the middle of the night. She’s also an up-and-coming artist; her photography is scheduled for a big showing at a local art museum. She comes by the next day to take him to lunch to make up for the noise, and they end up having a spectacular day together.
Both are reluctant to get into something with their neighbor, though; Ky is in agreement until he sees Meadow at a party they all happen to be at, and Meadow’s pregnant bestie Karina (Vanessa Hudgens) tells her to listen to her “punan” when it’s on fire for someone. They finally give in and fall for each other over the next few weeks, but things hit a snag when Carmen takes Jabari’s request to stay friends a little too far.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: We’re not sure the animation in Entergalactic was rotoscoped like it was in the series Undone, but it gives off that vibe, especially because the characters look more or less like the actors who are playing them. But the structure of the film, directed by Fletcher Moules, is pure rom-com, like a modern, hip hop-infused version of When Harry Meet Sally.
Performance Worth Watching: Jessica Williams has been here before, playing the funky, dream girlfriend in the second season of Love Life. It’s a role that she’s good at, because she can combine sensitive, funny, sexy and creative in one performance. Macaulay Culkin has a fun cameo as a weird but interesting guy named Downtown Pat.
Memorable Dialogue: Jabari asks Ky if he wears a helmet when he rides his scooter. “I always wear a helmet,” he replies. “Safety first, bro. How do you think I’ve been able to stay chlamydia free since ’03?” “How old were you in 2003?” asks Jimmy. “Shit… old enough to feel the burn,” says Ky incredulously. It’s the funniest line in the movie.
Sex and Skin: There’s some animated nudity, and we see sex between Jabari and Meadow and in a flashback scene when Ky talks about a neighbor of his.
Our Take: One of the executive producers of Entergalactic is Kenya Barris, and you can see his influence in the film; the comedy is mostly character-driven, and much of it is actually very funny. But it’s balanced well with the dramatic and romantic elements of the story.
What was so surprising about the story was that it was structured like a classic romcom, despite the presence of Kid Cudi’s music and the obvious tilt towards the film being about people who are young, Black, and artistic with some degree of success. We see both people’s situations, along with their friends and/or families. Then there’s the meet-cute, the great first date, the montage that shows the two of them dating and falling for each other, the misunderstanding that could end it all, the separation and longing that misunderstanding generates, and eventually the loving reunion.
In other words, none of the beats of Entergalactic‘s story are a surprise. But the characters are so well thought-out and the humor so ingrained in those characters that it doesn’t matter. One of the things we tend to hate about modern romcoms are leaps of logic, especially when it comes to the obstacles that are thrown in the mix to keep the two main characters from being together.
Here, those beats feel organic for the most part, even the near-misses in the first 20 minutes or so; after all, they’re neighbors who walk in similar social circles. And when romcom beats feel organic, the story is much more satisfying to watch to its inevitable conclusion.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Kid Cudi and Barris do a fine job of making Entergalactic feel like much more than a vehicle for Cudi’s latest music; it’s a hip hop take on a familiar story, but is a satisfying watch despite knowing how it’s going to turn out.
Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.