Saturday Church is the story of Ulysses, a shy and reserved gay high school student overcoming adversity after the death of his father.
Luka Kain plays Ulysses, who has a penchant for wearing his mother’s clothes, which she isn’t happy about. Kain is perfect as Ulysses, bringing the lanky teen to life as he wanders around as if unsure of his surroundings and the people he meets.
Following the death of her husband, Amara (Margot Bingham) is forced to raise Ulysses and his younger brother, Abe (Jaylin Fletcher), on her own. As she works two jobs, she asks their religious and homophobic Aunt Rose (Regina Taylor) to watch them while she’s at work.
Taylor plays Aunt Rose with authenticity and relish. When she finds out that Ulysses has been trying on his mother’s clothes, she makes her opinions known and lays down the law. This drives Ulysses out of the house, and one day he takes the subway to Christopher Street. It’s here where he meets Ebony (Mj Rodriguea), Heaven (Alexia Garcia), Dijon (Indya Moore) and Raymond (Marquis Rodriguez) on the pier. The group accepts him without question and takes him to his first drag ball.
As Ulysses gets comfortable with this new group of friends, he also takes a liking to Raymond. And at one point he and Raymond have a sweet moment that would make even the saltiest queen smile.
The acting overall is good, and the situations feel authentic. MJ Rodriguez and Indya Moore play characters similar to the ones they portrayed in Pose. Keep in mind that Saturday Church came out before Pose. They do a great job, making it easy to get wrapped up in their lives.
The only thing about Saturday Church that doesn’t work is the music. Somehow there was a decision to turn the film into a musical, which is often a bit off putting and slows down the story. It’s unfortunate because the script is good enough to stand on its own and the music is uninspiring. It doesn’t ruin the film, but it does come at a price.
The film also ends way too soon. It was just hitting its stride when it ended, which was upsetting. I wanted to know more about Ulysses’ relationship with his mother, Amara’s relationship with Rose, and the budding romance between Raymond and Ulysses. I would have gladly sat with these characters for another forty-five minutes.
The Final Verdict:
Despite the awkwardly added musical numbers, Saturday Church is an enjoyable ride that will leave you wanting more.