Ferris Bueller's Day in the Hood. Charismatic youngster Shameik Moore plays Malcolm, a brilliant high school senior from Inglewood who loves '90s hip hop but sings in a punk band called Oreo because, you know, he's into white shit, too. The (totally unnecessary and redundant) narration from producer Forest Whitaker will tell you he's a geek, but don't be fooled: Malcolm is a social superhero, capable of navigating any social situation (life-threatening or otherwise) with bashful aplomb. And the girls love him! As fantasies go, it's entertaining and funny enough (though often lazily so). But every now and then, the film decides it's time for shit to get real, which mostly serves to heighten the unreality of everything else. (A minor illustration: Malcolm's friend pauses in his effort to flee a lethal restaurant shootout to snag his to-go order of chili cheese fries. Geeky high-school kids sure do love their snacks!) In other places, it's flat and padded at the same time: a lengthy discussion of who's allowed to say the n-word, an extended riff on a dude's substitution of "b"s for soft "c"s. Points for being different; points off for being sloppy. (2015) — Matthew Lickona