The Fits (2016)

The Fits features a very clever central idea, depending on how you interpret it of course. Unfortunately, it is just this idea, and it doesn't entirely have a way of pushing it forward.That's a slightly harsh statement to make generally. Narratively, I think the film struggles to find a way to push it's central premise forward. They have fits, and figuring out how and why they're happening is more a job for the viewer than the screenplay. It makes for an interesting film, although personally I would have liked to have seen it explored on a wider level. This film was made for less than $200k. That's a lot of money in the real world, but in the film industry that's a remarkably low budget. You'd never have guessed, however. The film is gorgeous to look at, partly down to the crisp lighting and partly down to some fantastic framing and focus. The cinematography really is the highlight of this film. It's also not just used for style - the cinematography does seem to be helping the film form its tone and style as well.Some people have given great acclaim to this film, and I can absolutely appreciate why. It *just* misses the great level for me, but to discourage people from watching this would be wrong. It's an indie film with many admirable features and some exciting originality, but it just doesn't quite have enough meat on its bones.

The acting was really bad.The fits that the girls had seemed really fake to me. For example when each girl was able to tell the grown ups what happen or when the young girl was telling the women what happen and then all of the sudden she had a fit. It was like the girls planed it out to get people to notice them or something. the plot was weak and music was not good.I really how the film was about black kids and hard things can get for them. I really like how thermal kid stood up for what she thought was right even when it meant she hurts her friends feeling. Also I like how her brother stood by her side even so he knew tiger mom would be upset when she finds out about the her kid was doing.I think people skip this film. I give it 2 out 10

Don't think too hard. This film is about wanting to fit in as an adolescent. And not fully understanding what peers older than you are going through, but wanting to be accepted regardless.Consider the first fit, the first "episode," as real. The leader, Legs, was PREGNANT, from Donte. Maybe she overworked herself dancing? Complications? Dehydration? But she was definitely, absolutely, pregnant... and she then had a seizure, an episode, whatever it was. Chances are it was the only sincere "fit" in the film.Imagine each subsequent fit to be each girl's attempt to follow suit. To be like their "leader." The girl they look up to each day while dancing, the girl they follow, for their own reasons. Toni's dialogue is all you need to know: "Maia wanted it to happen to her." So it did. And, eventually... Toni wanted it too.It's a surreal film. Obviously Toni isn't going to get pregnant, but her mind doesn't fully understand pregnancy yet, so she throws her own unique fit. Just as each of her friends threw their own. She creates a fantasy of being accepted. She floats, she flails, she falls, and she's caught by her friends. She fits.

While the professional critics seemed to be falling all over themselves that this movie is a masterpiece, I feel somewhat relieved and encouraged that most non-professional critics had a similar reaction as mine, which is that it wasn't very good.We're all waiting to see the ending that will hopefully make sense of what we saw, and instead, I was even more confused. Even doing some online research to figure out what it all means, I have seen nothing that explains this in a satisfactory way. Coming-of-age? Of course. The lives of underprivileged children struggling to better themselves? Yep. But the problem is that it seems that the "fits" are a metaphor for something bigger, and Toni's final scene is also a metaphor for something bigger, but I honestly have no idea.It's great that the film is only 72 minutes long, but that's about it. For most people (excluding professional critics, of course), I can almost guarantee that you're going to be stunned at the high critical acclaim, and wishing you did something else with your 72 minutes.