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| BronzeLens Artistic Director Deidre McDonald and “Insecure” creator and star Issa Rae. |
On Friday, August 26, a crowd gathered in Atlanta’s Georgia Pacific Auditorium for the Bronze Lens Film Festival’s First Glance Friday, awaiting the much anticipated HBO series “Insecure” from star-on-the-rise Issa Rae.
The show opens with iconic LA spots and the extremely appropriate “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. As the show played, it was quite evident that Issa Rae and “Insecure” will be ‘Alright.’ The show was funny, but it was more than just a series of one-liner laughs.
“Insecure” is really real. The show centers around the ‘aggressively-passive’ Issa and her best friend Molly, who are navigating their late 20s in Los Angeles. Faced with the issues of the unmarried, educated black female, Issa and Molly entertain with their quick wit and unbridled truth. “As a black woman, the more educated you are, the less likely you are to get married.”
“Insecure” is reminiscent of Rae’s wildly successful web series, “Awkward Black Girl,” in that the main character expresses herself in freestyle raps that illicit uproarious laughs. The pilot touches on the black hair struggle, feeling stuck in a relationship, Facebook stalking your ex and ‘broken pussies.’
The first episode is impressive and leaves the audience anxiously awaiting the next episode.
During the Q&A after the screening, one audience member complemented Rae on her job well done, but digressed into a small rant about the high prices of premium cable to which Rae replied, “At least bootleg it.”
I am confident that Insecure is a hit and Issa Rae has no reason to feel ‘insecure’ about the shows future. I give the show 6 of 5 stars. It is available for streaming via HBO Now and HBO Go.
