Billy Porter’s Directorial Debut Raises the Bar for Coming of Age Movies

Category is: director realness. We’ve seen Billy Porter act, sing, dance, have successful runs on Broadway, and work the red carpet like nobody else can. With Anything’s Possible, however, this is the first time we’re seeing the Emmy, Tony, and Grammy-winning artist in the director’s chair — and what a triumphant directorial debut! Seeing actors become directors is hardly a new phenomenon in Hollywood — just look at Ben Affleck, Greta Gerwig, and even former Captain America himself, Chris Evans — but what Porter does with Amazon’s latest movie definitively raises the bar for coming-of-age movies.

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Starring Eva Reign (also making her debut) and Abubakr Ali (who will lead Netflix’s upcoming Grendel series), Anything’s Possible tells the story of high school seniors Kelsa (Reign), who is trans, and Khal (Ali) as they experience the adolescent pressures of preparing for life after graduation, all the while navigating the politics and backlash that seemingly arise when they make their newfound relationship official. It’s a wholeheartedly Gen Z story, rife with the trappings of social media, the vernacular of a more socially conscious generation, and, as a result, the radicalism of choosing love and hope in an ever-declining and ever-divisive world.

Honing in on this specific demographic, as it turns out, was intentional and thereby part of the reason why Porter decided against the initially planned theatrical release and opted for its availability to stream on Amazon Prime Video. In an interview with Variety, Porter said, “Eyeballs will be on [Anything’s Possible] because you can watch it from your house. Honey, you can watch it from your phone if you want to. And that’s the audience that it’s for.” Indeed, it’s clear that Porter has his thumb on the pulse of the industry, specifically how younger audiences might prefer to consume movies and what they’re interested in watching.

Anything’s Possible is a Story for Right Now

Immediately, what’s beautiful about Anything’s Possible is how it’s a love story between a Black trans girl and an Arab Muslim boy. The history of teen rom-coms and coming-of-age movies has been an avalanche of yellow-haired and blue-eyed characters. 30 years ago, Anything’s Possible likely would not have been made — if it were, it would have been relegated to the underground movements of New Queer Cinema — and even ten years ago, a movie like this would probably have starred two straight (and white) actors playing tragic archetypes of gay characters. This is why Anything’s Possible is a story for right now. What’s more, in the very capable hands of Porter who, in his decades-long career, has seen the ebb and flow of progress — indeed, has been a staunch champion — in the representation of Black and brown and LGBTQ+ characters on-screen.

Though the film at times feels like it breezes through its scenes too quickly — in just under 100 minutes, the story sometimes races through its emotional checkpoints — there’s a magical quality to the intimacy with which Porter frames Anything’s Possible that makes it impossible to resist diving into Kelsa or Khal’s world. He zooms in on the characters and lets the actors move in each scene in a way that feels real. There’s an easy chemistry between Reign and Ali, and as the camera steadies on their faces, you can see how much of themselves they bring to each character, lifting the at-times cheesy dialogue. Perhaps it’s his background as an actor or his experience in a theater, but whatever the case, Porter ultimately knows how to fully transport his audience.

The soundtrack, too, plays an important part in navigating through Anything’s Possible’s story. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Porter, in fact, wrote six new songs with singer/songwriter Justin Tranter. The beat of each song rings true to the modernity of Kelsa and Khal’s love story, bringing a Hollywood-style romanticism to the city of Pittsburgh — Porter’s hometown, actually — which hasn’t been seen maybe The Perks of Being a Wallflower, incidentally another coming of age film. It accentuates Kelsa’s need to be free (she has her eyes set on California), while underscoring Khal’s choice to stay.

Related: Exclusive: Eva Reign & Abubakr Ali Talk Amazon’s New Teen Rom-Com Anything’s Possible

Exceptional Performances from the Cast

Orion Pictures / Amazon Studios

As much as Anything’s Possible is a showcase of what Porter can do behind the camera, the film is ultimately a stage for its actors. It’s almost hard to believe that this is Reign’s first feature, as she brings an astonishing depth to Kelsa, perfectly balancing the world-weariness of a teen who is wiser than her years with the curiosity and fire of someone on the precipice of change. Conversely, Ali plays Khal with a reserved yet sometimes goofy sensibility, which others would do well to use a stencil for future rom-com leading man characters: there’s no false bravado with Khal, just heart. The rest of the cast do their parts well, bringing different colors to Porter’s world, but if there’s an MVP of Anything’s Possible, it’s Renée Elise Goldberry as Kelsa’s mom. Goldberry absolutely lights up each scene she’s in, masterfully flitting between drama and comedy — and if Hollywood were paying attention, they would give her all the roles.

Ultimately, Anything’s Possible is an inspiring movie that champions love, self-worth, discovery, and the belief that good things, and good people, are out there. Many folks will likely see themselves in this movie in a way they might not have before. Hopefully, this is proof that not only will more movies like this be made, but also that Porter will be able to direct more movies.

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