Sprinkled with intelligent conversations that feel irrelevant to the film, and incredible performance making the most of an undefined script Premature lives in an odd space. The film is trying to say so much in such a short amount of time and it leads to an experience that is unfocused, but resonant. It almost feels like a story better told as a short.

Zora Howard and Joshua Boone manage to fill out a relationship, that on paper feels pretty empty, by creating arresting moments throughout the latter portion of the film. You never quite get why they’re in love. It just happens, and the viewer is asked to just go with it. We’re pulled through their encounters, but it isn’t until the narrative slows down and opens up that their given a chance to shine. They manage to evoke an empathetic response through pure performance and some strong direction.

It should be noted that this film feels oddly voyeuristic in ways that don’t necessarily lend itself to the narrative or the cinematic experience. Given the choice to lens this film alongside a female director of photography, some of the framing choices might strike some as odd. It’s one thing to create an experience that feels honest and raw, which the film does succeed at in glimpses, but the camera should never feel like it’s peering, which unfortunately it does at times.

All in all, while the film works within a rather uninspired place, it manages to lull you into an emotion place with these characters, even if it’s in the final scenes of the film. You can’t help but think about stronger films like Beale Street that walk this line of societal deconstruction through romance. They weave a story that is not only resonant, but whole. Makes you wonder if this script was two drafts away from being a poignant piece of art.