Sierra and the Spade

In the closed world of Haldwell, an elite Pennsylvania boarding school, the student body is run by five factions. Seventeen-year-old Sierra Summers manages the most dominant band of Spades with unshakable aplomb as they cater to the most classic of vices, supplying students with coveted illegal alcohol and drugs. Tensions between the two factions escalate, and when Selah's best friend, right-hand man Maxi, is distracted by a new love interest, Selah takes over as an obsessed protégé, Paloma, to whom she imparts her wisdom in running the school. But as graduation approaches and Paloma proves to be an incredibly quick study, Sierra's fears turn sinister as she struggles to overcome the loss of control that defines her self. In her feature debut, writer-director Tayarisha Poe immerses us in a heightened depiction of teenage politics. This mesmerizing character study encapsulates just how intoxicating power can be for a teenage girl who keenly feels the threat of rejection. Exciting newcomer Lovie Simone's performance perfectly embodies both Selah's publicly impeccable command and the internal fears and uncertainties that drive her.