Burning Sands (2017)

I watched this movie because #AquariusBae Trevante Rhodes is in it, and for no other reason but. Oh, no, also I heard a bunch of people were upset with this film? I'm assuming because of how it ~exposed~ the hazing aspect of some of these black fraternities? Is it even called fraternity? I have no idea. I went to college for 1 year and spent the majority of my time in my dorm watching Hulu and Netflix. That's the first time I binged Arrested Development. Good times. loljk they were gonna expel me. Turns out, you kind of have to go to class! lol they whilin!! But anyway people feeling salty about a movie is always gonna make me want to watch, so I did, and vaguely regretted it :')

So Burning Sands is about...some bs, tbh. It's really hard for me to watch something like this because I don't comprehend the mentality of someone who'd want to join a fraternity/sorority, and think with any part of their brains that it's acceptable for them to have to endure all sorts of crazy abuse and humiliation during this so-called Hell Week just to be part of some fake-ass brother or sisterhood. I'm aware there is supposed to be some great networking incentive if you get accepted into one of these frats, but is it worth it? The people who abuse the shit out of you during initiation are the people ur gonna have to look to for job connecks in the future. Why would you buy into this? There have to be better ways to get a come up. 

Trevor Jackson's character Zurich was making me uncomfortable because he was looking down on his dad or whatever for ~failing~ Hell Week, right? And dropping out? But then he walking around with fractured ribs and fucking up in school and with his girl, and for what? Like, literally for what because someone ended up dead and all Zurich ended up with was a freshly-shaven, misshapen ass head. Take this L!!!! 

I can't remember, but this movie is about someone who came up in one of these frats, non? Who cares, let's talk about Trevante!! First of all: He is Short. Do I care? NO!! I wanted to cry when he was wearing that silky polyester robe like, please! Also what is his accent? I am getting sociopath teas and I can't wait for his suspicious ass to become a movie star, let's go! Do I feel the same way about Trevor Jackson? lol, absolutely not. He was giving me nothing here, though I couldn't tell if that was how his character was written, or if he just doesn't have it. We'll see (lol I don't care). Who really stood out to me, though, was Tosin Cole. I looked his ass up and the internet told me he's from the fucking UK, and honestly I'm living because I would have had no idea otherwise. Definitely looking forward to seeing more from him. Maybe. I don't want to get too hype about a black UK actor, let's just keep it real! But maybe. 

Can we talk about the ~ghetto slut~ character who had the box braids and worked at Hardees or whatever and was mad willing to get fucked by all the new pledges?? What was her character's name? Toya. Why was Zurich acting all shocked when she displayed that she knew words that have more than one syllable? That was whack. Why? Just cuz she aint in college and a ho she a dummy? Zurich.....ur stupid ass got accepted into college and yet all I see you making is one stupid fucking decision after another. And you a punk. So you can miss me with all that.

Can we talk about Rotmi's bleached African looking ass? I hated his character but he definitely stood out. As someone for me to hate, but still lol. I wonder...what happens after new pledges get inducted? Is it all awkward lol? Like...well, okay in this case it DEFINITELY will be awkward, if this frat is not totally shut down. And of course Edwin prob wouldn't still be there? This movie is weird cuz it just like awkwardly ended. I almost feel like the real movie would've been the aftermath of Frank getting killed, and then I guess a focus on Zurich ~becoming a man~ during whatever comes of that situation. Burning Sands is just a precursor to a way bigger story? Like a prologue to a mad long novel? Idk. Much more could've been said. Like they had Alfre Woodward as the prof stanning for Frederick Douglass (a fuckboy) and it kind of looked like they were trying to go somewhere with that, but they barely scratched the surface of wherever they were trying to take it. Honestly, this should be a show like how they did Dear White People. It can start out with the death and then sort of go on from there and how the campus changes. I'd watch. I am far more interested in a storyline like this than something like Dear White People, which I did not see lol, but the title is a turn-off alone. I'd rather watch a black college movie/show where the issues are less about addressing racism and micro-aggressions and shit and getting into what ~the community~ has going on within. Though I could be prematurely judging that other property because maybe they do the same. Idk, but this movie was super gay and I wish movie makers would stop doing straight stuff all the time and just make it gay. So I can ignore uncomfortable stuff like extreme abuse and just be happy gay shit is happening :) Please placate me :))