Serious People is a bit of an interesting project, the film is co-directed/written/stars Pasqual Gutierrez, one half of the very real LA based music video directing duo Clique, who are responsible for a plethora of music videos by not only Bad Bunny, but The Weekend. In an art imitates life script, the film which just screened at Sundance, stars Pasqual and his real life Clique partner as fictionalized versions of themselves – who are charged with directing a music video for a satirized version of the real Canadian rapper Drake (NOT played by Drake). The only problem is that the shoot date happens to coincide with Pasqual’s partner’s pregnancy due date. So he comes up with the ingenious idea of hiring a doppelganger – Miguel, to play him for the duration of the shoot.
For Serious People Pasqual Gutierrez shared directing duties with Ben Mullinkosson while crafting this hilarious look at gig life, directing music videos, growing up and attempting to maintain a work life balance in a field where saying no could cost you your next job. It’s a no frills production that manages to be charming as hell thanks to its rogues gallery cast of characters, who are essentially playing heightened versions of themselves. It’s when Pasqual discovers the benefits of having another version of himself, as Miguel quickly becomes acutely drunk with power – that the drama begins to present itself to those around them.
As someone who spent the summer completely full entrenched in the Drake Vs, Kendrick Lamar Beef, I first thought this basic premise simply didn’t age well, given the current United States vs. Drake world we live in today. But given the Weekend’s well known issues with Drake and his relationship with our writer/star/co-director, it’s easy to see as the film plays out who’s team the film is on. This becomes more and more apparent throughout the film, as our fictional directors contend with a satirical version of OVO and a lookalike version of the rapper who wants it known he really likes strippers and his nails and wants them to be focuses in said video.
So while the film definitely is this entertaining and somewhat wholesome story of a father willing to go to some truly insane lengths to be there for the birth of his child – it also might be the first diss film on record. Considering LA is a character and it doesn’t take too kindly to Drake, his fate in the film – given recent events it would be hard to look past our co-directors filmography and his allegiances in its portrayal. Serious People is seriously funny and well worth checking out even without that subtext, which will no doubt fuel more than a few think pieces and op/eds from the rap community once the film get a release date locked in.
