Grillz & Mirrors (2023)

There are some things in this world that people either love or hate. Cilantro, pineapple on pizza, and the man bun are some examples of when there is rarely a gray area–and I would venture to guess that grillz exist in a similar space to those aforementioned things. Grillz & Mirrors, which recently showcased at the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival, attempts to express the reality of grillz, showing and telling viewers about the powers that come with wearing them–but also how outsiders can sometimes perceive them.

It’s just impossible not to address the fact that Grillz & Mirrors is a strange short film. Viewers, for just about five minutes, sit and stare at what appears to be a series of grown men smiling into a mirror. Each of the men wear grillz, and narrator Michael U. Olowu (also Writer, Director, and, well, everything else) speaks to what this item means to those men. There’s a level of uncomfortability present throughout the course of the film, and it seems obvious that Olowu wants his viewers to feel this way. So, to some extent, he gets what he wants out of the film–but beyond that I’m not sure that the film reaches viewers in the way that it was intended.

There’s a disconnect somewhere, and I’m not sure if it’s the film as a whole, or if it’s me. It’s certainly possible that I’m simply disconnected from the content present in Grillz & Mirrors, and that this is the reason that I struggled with the film. However, I seem to believe that there is more to this than just myself not understanding.

There are issues with the language, in which some of the nomenclature used simply doesn’t make any sense. I’m not expecting Shakespearean language by any means, not because I don’t have faith, but because the language doesn’t need to be that powerful to make a difference or to connect with viewers. However, Grillz & Mirrors actually uses a word or two that aren’t correct, and that lowers the value of the film. If you’re unable to accurately express how you feel about something, you instantly lose credibility. If I were to stand in front of my class and not have answers to their questions they would begin to wonder if I’m actually capable of teaching them–and that’s a risk that Olowu is taking throughout Grillz & Mirrors. Due to the fact that his thoughts aren’t accurately expressed, I had no choice but to begin to question the other things that were expressed throughout the film as well. I’m certainly not saying that Olowu doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but the reality is that it’s human nature to question these things as a result of some of the narration.

Grillz & Mirrors is a challenging film. On one hand it’s challenging because I’m not entirely sure that the masses will be able to understand and/or appreciate the content. On the other hand it seems that Olowu struggles to get his point across from time to time, and that makes it difficult for viewers to believe all of the words spoken throughout the film. With the right audience I believe that Grillz & Mirrors has the potential to make sense and entice, but I’m not the target audience, and I don’t quite understand what’s taking place.

Written & Directed by Michael U. Olowu.

Starring Michael U. Olowu.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10