If Not Now, When? is an American drama film written by Tamara Bass and directed by Bass with Meagan Good (in their feature directorial debut). The film stars Meagan Holder, Mekia Cox, Tamara Bass and Meagan Good as four friends who forced back together when one of them suffers a crisis. Valarie Pettiford, Edwin Hodge, Lexi Underwood, Niles Fitch, Todd Williams, and McKinley Freeman round out the cast.
| If Not Now, When? | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Tamara Bass Meagan Good |
| Written by | Tamara Bass |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Craig Dean Devine |
| Edited by | Lauren Connelly |
| Music by | James Perry |
Production company | Krazy Actress Productions |
| Distributed by | Vertical Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film premiered at the 2019 American Black Film Festival.[1] It later was released on January 8, 2021, by Vertical Entertainment.[2] The film received generally mixed reviews from critics.
Cast
edit- Meagan Holder as Deidre
- Josephine Lawrence as Teenage Deidre
- Mekia Cox as Suzanne
- Amanda Mayfield as Teenage Suzanne
- Tamara Bass as Patrice
- Iyana Halley as Teenage Patrice
- Meagan Good Tyra
- Li Eubanks as Teenage Tyra
- Valarie Pettiford as Lorna
- Edwin Hodge as Walter
- Lexi Underwood as Jillian
- Niles Fitch as Michael
- Todd Williams
- McKinley Freeman as Jackson
- Jon Chaffin as Trevor
- Kyle Schmid as Max
- Amber Chardae Robinson as Elaine
Critical response
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 53% of 17 critics' reviews are positive.[3]
Film critic Lisa Kennedy from Variety wrote in her review: "The drama “If Not Now, When?” owes more to Waiting to Exhale than to the women-centric films of Tyler Perry. That's a good thing, as well as intentional on the part of its first-time feature directors, actors Meagan Good and Tamara Bass."[4] Katie Walsh from Los Angeles Times also give it positive review praising Bass' writing and performances, particularly Meagan Holder' performance.[5] Monica Castillo from RogerEbert.com gave it a negative review writing: "Between its amateurish direction, pedestrian cinematography, and overly plotted script, the narrative and visuals don’t coalesce into a story that feels restorative, cathartic, or even joyful."[6] Teo Bugbee from The New York Times also gave it a negative review.[7]
References
edit- ^ "ABFF 2019 Exclusive: Directors Meagan Good and Tamara Bass Talk Sisterhood Film 'If Not Now, When?'". blackfilm.com. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 29, 2020). "Vertical Entertainment Acquires 'If Not Now, When?' Drama From Meagan Good & Tamara Bass".
- ^ "If Not Now, When? - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. January 8, 2021.
- ^ Kennedy, Lisa (January 6, 2021). "'If Not Now, When?' Review: Friends Stick Together in Actors Meagan Good and Tamara Bass' Directing Debut".
- ^ Walsh, Katie (January 7, 2021). "Review: Friends are there for one another in the melodramatic 'If Not Now, When?'". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Castillo, Monica. "If Not Now, When? movie review (2021) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com.
- ^ Bugbee, Teo (January 7, 2021). "'If Not Now, When?' Review: Weak Bonds Make for a Flimsy Film". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.