Review Roundup: Billy Porter Makes Directorial Debut With ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE Film; What Are the Critics Saying?

Billy Porter makes his directorial debut with Anything's Possible, a new film starring Eva Reign, Abubakr Ali, and Renée Elise Goldsberry.

The film will be released globally on Prime Video Friday, July 22, 2022.

Anything's Possible is a delightfully modern Gen Z coming-of-age story that follows Kelsa, a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates through senior year. When her classmate Khal gets a crush on her, he musters up the courage to ask her out, despite the drama he knows it could cause. What transpires is a romance that showcases the joy, tenderness, and pain of young love.

Read what the critics are saying below!

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Kyle Turner, New York Times: "At times, it feels like Reign and Ali are struggling to make their charming chemistry discernible under Porter's internet-addled but unremarkable hand. Both are able to play naturally to the camera, Reign with a bewitching smirk and Ali with pensive eyes. Yet what could be sharply defined in their performances is more rough hewed."

Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter: "Porter's direction is particularly sharp ... Kelsa and Khal's stolen glances and body language, coupled with Khal's playful impersonation of David Attenborough and Kelsa's gentle teasing, texture the pair's relationship with youthful energy and lust. The Pose star has previously directed theater, but Anything's Possible is his first venture into film. One hopes it won't be his last."

Leigh Monson, AV Club: "Renée Elise Goldsberry stands out among the supporting performers as Kelsa's single mother, whose overprotective presence provides a grounding influence when the pressures of teenage drama threaten to overwhelm her daughter; in particular, she delivers a monologue that rivals Jennifer Garner's turn in Love, Simon in terms of supportive parent wish fulfillment for queer kids."

Peter Debruge, Variety: "Making his directorial debut, Emmy-, Tony- and Grammy-winning charisma machine Porter ("Pose" on screen, "Kinky Boots" onstage) has crafted a relatively safe movie where the costumes are more confrontational than the queer element."

Amy Amatangelo, Paste Magazine: "By the time Anything's Possible ends, some plot points are left unresolved. For some, it makes sense to not wrap everything up in a tidy manner. For others, it seems like there may be a scene or two that was left on the cutting room floor by mistake. We can hope that soon a movie like Anything's Possible is so mainstream that featuring a trans lead isn't notable at all. After all, in entertainment, anything is possible."

Hope Madden, Maddwolf: "On the surface, Billy Porter's directorial debut-the coming-of-age rom-com Anything's Possible-is pretty traditional fare. High school can be tolerable with good friends, boys complicate everything, being different is the worst, just hold on until you can start it all again at college. That does describe this film. The only thing differentiating this story from dozens of other high school dramedies littering cinematic history is that our lead, our Gen Z Molly Ringwald, is a beautiful trans girl named Kelsa."

James Kleinmann, The Queer Review: "Porter's mark is also present as a performer and songwriter on the upbeat soundtrack (alongside predominantly LGBTQ+ artists such as his Pose co-star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Kim Petras, SOPHIE, and Shea Diamond), as well as in the film's warmth and search truthfulness in every moment, even when things are a little heightened. He has a nice cameo too, in the form of a street art homage to his 2020 Grammys red carpet arrival."

Randy Myers, The Mercury News: "'Pose's' Billy Porter makes his directorial debut with this effort that is every bit as buoyant, sunny and bursting with sparkling attitude as its stars. It's a lovely high school romance that's different."

Dan Callahan, The Wrap: "The tone established here is cultured and sharp, and "Pose" star Billy Porter, making his directorial debut with this movie, draws you in to the distinctive language of various groups in these early scenes."

Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Porter, who starred in FX's trans drama "Pose," has made no secret of his desire to tell a joyful trans story that eschews trauma. The 95-minute "Anything's Possible" certainly fulfills that goal."

Joy Diamond, San Francisco Chronicle: "Despite its compelling leads, "Anything's Possible" doesn't avoid the cliches of young-adult romances. Side characters and their relationships with Kelsa and Khal are barely developed; the two have friends and family, but minimal history with them. Most characters can be described with one adjective and exist for one streamlined purpose, somewhat lowering the stakes of the drama."

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Watch the trailer for the new film here:

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