We all go through phases in life, but it’s when we’re teenagers that things really start to get a little serious. Not to say that being a teenager is harder to deal with than being an adult, married, paying bills or anything else, but being a teenager is a hard thing to deal with, no matter what climate it is. It’s really a time about showing off and attempting to fit in with a certain crowd, while simultaneously, you’re also going through some physical changes and discovering things that you wouldn’t necessarily learn as a child. Being a teenager is rough thing that everyone goes through, even if you’re not willing to admit it, but one thing that starts to become a topic of discussion with your health teachers, but especially your parents, is masturbation. Yes, you’re probably uncomfortable just by gazing at that word, and rightfully so because it’s something that needs to be addressed to teenagers when their body starts to change and when a movie decided that it’s going to tackle on a young Catholic school girl discovering the idea of masturbation and other urges, things can become a little tricky. Yes, God, Yes is a delightful and extremely funny coming of age dramedy that’s full of charm and strong sensitivity that will leave audiences by saying “Yes to this.” Natalia Dyer shines with her special and tremendous performance in a movie that handles it’s subject matter by poking fun at it but also not being afraid to be heavy.
Alice is your typical teenager. She’s calm, keeps to herself and seems to be due dillegnt when comes to her studies. But for her age, Alice is sexually inexperienced and she’s constantly told by her teachers and other staff members at her Catholic high school that any form of sexual activity. especially that’s not aimed at procreation, is a sin. Alice, while being very curious about it, severely struggles with her sexual desires after this rumor that’s been going around her school that she had oral sex with one of the other students. So after this internet chat that Alice has with a complete stranger, she then discovers the pleasure of pleasing yourself sexually which then causes a bit of discomfort with her and her fellow students. The events that take place cause Alice to rethink her whole life by learning so much more about herself.
Natalia Dyer is someone you’ll clearly recognize. She’s only 25 years-old, but her most recognize able role is her character of Stranger Things as Nancy Wheeler. But besides that, she doesn’t have a lot that stands out. She’s had a role in the Netflix movie, Velvet Buzzsaw, and that really is the only film of hers that’s relatively big, especially when you take into consideration that the movie had Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Toni Collette and John Malkovich. Anywho, that being said, Natalia Dyer has yet to have a list of work that’s outside the realm of Stranger Things. Her performance in Yes, God, Yes proves that she’s got a lot talent in her and a great future ahead. She plays a character that’s has a struggle with confrontation and hiding her flaws, despite it being totally normal to admit it to adults and she does it with charm and class. The way Natalia Dyer shows off her insecurities with this character is was quite impressive and it demonstrates the range she has as an actress.
Something that director Karen Maine does perfectly in her directorial debut is she brings a lot of maturity to the movie. Yes, a movie about sex can be funny and Yes, God, Yes is hilarious, but Karen Maine is able to balance out the comedy and the drama that’s oriented by just the right amount of emotion. Yes, God, Yes is the type of movie that’s more in favor of showing rather than addressing. The storytelling is basic enough, but because of Maine’s perspective, it makes the material less formulaic and less generic. Maine is able to seek out the pain and the laughter in this story, which is why it’s a lot more resonating than it might give itself credit for.
Yes, God, Yes is the best teenage coming of age dramedy that’s been made in some time. It’s amusing, intuitive and it makes Natalia Dyer a bigger and more respected star. While handling a movie with subject matter that could come across as a bit polarizing to some, Yes, God, Yes strikes at a perfect equilibrium of light heartedness and its heavy handiness. Yes, God, Yes to this movie.
My grade for Yes, God, Yes: A
Zane's take at the Cinema's 