Entergalactic (2022) Film Review and Summary

SOFT 8/10

Scott Mescudi, otherwise known as Kid Cudi, is a man who dons many hats. Rapper, crooner, streetwear enthusiast and more prominently of recent, an actor. In 2022, Cudi received his most significant role to date as a supporting member of A24’s slasher X (2022), but his performance in Netflix’s Entergalactic (2022) is a far cry from the sexually assertive character he played in the horror film. Instead, we finally get to see Cudi embrace an opportunity with range that propels him to the spotlight of a leading man. The streaming service technically does not categorize Entergalactic as a film, and while I agree that it is more of a spiritual odyssey with a narrative soundtrack, it is distinct enough for me to consider it cinema.

Entergalactic’s animation style is incredibly rigid in its physical characteristics, as it draws direct influence from comic book and graphic novel aesthetics, but it is as lusciously detailed as the visually comparable Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Cudi’s music has always had a defined vibe that depicts a surreal lifestyle that the artist clearly indulges in, and this film appropriately depicts the ethereal themes that sonically coat his persona. Entergalactic’s New York City is plastered with posters about advancements in technology, as well as the constant advertisements for Stush (a caricature of dating apps), that suggest an overwhelming sense of desensitization of society to the spontaneity and liveliness of cities and the communities within them. Jabari (Kid Cudi) is a graffiti artist who is resisting the urge to share this same sentiment of superficiality after receiving his big break in the form of a comic-book adaptation deal from Cosmic Comics, an embodiment of corporate America. His co-worker, Len (Arturo Castro), insists that the company’s mantra of “bright, white, light” will force change upon Jabari’s authentic creative expression. 

Jabari’s artistic cornerstone is his character “Mr. Rager”, and he’s worried that his new occupation will effectively gentrify his work by literally turning its appearance from black to white. This notion is reminiscent of 2018's Sorry To Bother You in the manner that it illustrates how the upper-echelon of society can sometimes dillude the truthful tribulations of those who helped provide for those at the top, just as Jabari is doing for Cosmic Comics. In reality though, Jabari lives in a world of immense color. Aside from the vivid pigmentation of the film’s universe; the composition of Jabari's friend group is similarly vibrant and diverse. Jimmy (Timothee Chalamet) and Ky (Ty Dolla $ign) are charming foils to Jabari’s internal struggles. They act as his inherent soundboards to play ideas off of, providing hilarious comic relief and genuinely nuanced insights in the process. Although this film is basically a rom-com with hints of classic stoner comedy, none of the group’s dialogue comes off as irreverent rhetoric, instead demonstrating impassioned care for what the film’s protagonist is enduring.

Essentially, the central conflict of Entergalactic is that Jabari recently restarted and ended a romance with his ex-girlfriend, Carmen (Laura Harrier), but now has a fresh love interest in his new neighbor, Meadow (Jessica Williams). Throughout most of the film, Jabari sports a hoodie with the word “closure” written across its front, which is ultimately what he searches for throughout this reflective journey. Carmen is a figment of Jabari’s past, an era of uncertainty and a nonchalant approach to life that left him feeling unfulfilled. In contrast, Meadow shares many of the same sentiments of personal development that Jabari struggles with. On their first date, Jabari reveals his work and Meadow immediately voices her concern about ensuring that he maintains his imaginative purity, even at the suppression of those above him. There is an overarching theme of staying true to one’s self that is reinforced by Meadow in another scene, where she states that she would never be with a white man. When her reasoning is inquired upon, her answer is simply “oppression”. In the world of Entergalactic, life can literally be black and white, whether its in relation to race or an abstract cosmic order, but the adventure of finding color is what matters most. 

Entergalactic’s progressive agenda is also apparent in its effort to establish its support for female empowerment. Both Jabari and Meadow’s perception of sexuality is considered during the build-up to their climatic initial moment of physical intimacy, but other gestures, such as Jabari telling a young biker (Jaden Smith) to formally break up with his partner rather than deserting her, as well as telling Ky to stop using the term “bitch”, go far in dispelling the stigma that surrounds the hip-hop culture that built Cudi’s career. 

The film also pays homage to the late and great Virgil Abloh by numerous references to his clothing brand, Off-White, as well as a tasteful mural that concludes the film. Entergalactic’s ode to fashion and streetwear are fully realized in the way that characters are costumed with brands like Kapital, Yeezy and the aforementioned Off-White, furthering the film’s ingrained loyalty to the influences that informed its conception

Cudi also released an album, or soundtrack, to accompany the film’s story. I was not particularly fond of the release before watching this film of the same name, but the music truly serves as a uniquely experimental substitute for internal exposition that could have easily been lazily applied through narration.

There are obviously going to be transitional hiccups with this being Cudi’s first attempt at voice-acting, as his delivery is sometimes stilted; it almost feels like he occasionally waits for his turn to speak, but he does his diligence for what was a delightful experience that is brimming with equal amounts of ambition, wistfulness and personal contemplation.