Yelling to the Sky
Rated: NR
Genre: Drama
Street Date: February 5, 2013
Available On: DVD and Blu-ray

The Film: Sweetness O’Hara (Zoe Kravitz) is a 17-year-old girl struggling through her life. She lives in a rough neighborhood, has an abusive father and isn’t quite certain what she wants to be if she survives long enough to grow up.

The Extras: Interview with Director Victoria Mahoney, “Yellow Graffiti” Featurette, Trailer

Recommendation: Writer/director Victoria Mahoney’s “Yelling to the Sky” is a gritty after-school special that is elevated by its talent cast (which also includes recognizable names like Jason Clarke and Gabourey Sidibe). It’s not nearly as vicious as “Precious,” “thirteen” or “Pariah,” but walks a similar course as it explores what it is to be young and dismissed as irrelevant. The film is well done, but it feels a bit too restrained and never feels nearly as bleak or dangerous as it should.

-Ryan Michael Painter

(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcast Group)