Pariah

Completed2011United States86 min

Alike writes poetry, spends time with her friend Laura and tries to find room for the person she is becoming within a home that expects…Read more +Read less −

Alike writes poetry, spends time with her friend Laura and tries to find room for the person she is becoming within a home that expects something else from her. A Brooklyn teenager quietly embracing her lesbian identity, she is eager for romance but cautious about what her family will allow themselves to see. Her mother encourages a friendship with Bina, assuming that a different social circle will draw Alike away from Laura. Instead, the new connection opens another possibility for attraction and disappointment. Dee Rees’s drama follows a young woman learning that coming into herself will require more than finding the right words. As tensions at home intensify, Alike must decide which forms of belonging can sustain her and which demand too much silence.

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Drama Romance

Sapphic characters & cast

Adepero Oduye

as Alike

Main sapphic character

Official platform credited performer publicity portrait

Aasha Davis

as Bina

Main sapphic character

Official platform credited performer publicity portrait

Pernell Walker

as Laura

Main sapphic character

Official platform credited performer publicity portrait

YOUR FIRST LOOK

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Details & credits

Country: United States
Language: English
Premiere: 2011-12-28
Runtime: 86 minutes
Director: Dee Rees

Exact-film official platform titled key art; rights pending

Artwork source & permission status

Editorial review approved — rights not independently confirmed

Exact-film official platform titled key art; rights pending

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Sources & editorial notes (5)

Last researched 2026-10-31. Editorially approved.

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