''We Grown Now'' is a 2023 American

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film written, directed and co-produced by Minhal Baig. It stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez,

S. Epatha Merkerson S. Epatha Merkerson (born Sharon Epatha Merkerson; November 28, 1952) is an American actress. She has received accolades for her work, including an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, four NAACP Image Awards, two Obie ...

, Avery Holliday, Ora Jones,

Lil Rel Howery Milton "Lil Rel" Howery Jr. (born December 17, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for playing Robert Carmichael in NBC's television comedy series '' The Carmichael Show'' (2015–2017) and Rod Williams in the horror fi ...

and

Jurnee Smollett Jurnee Diana Smollett (born October 1, 1986) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing on television sitcoms, including '' On Our Own'' (1994–1995) and ''Full House'' (1992–1994). She gained greater recognition ...

. ''We Grown Now'' had its world premiere at the

2023 Toronto International Film Festival The 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 7 to 17, 2023.Victoria Ahearn"TIFF reveals new programmers and other 2023 festival details" '' Playback'', April 20, 2023. The most noted change from past years was tha ...

on September 8, 2023. The film was released in select cinemas in the United States on April 19, 2024, by

Sony Pictures Classics Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American arthouse film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloo ...

and

Stage 6 Films Stage 6 Films, Inc. is an American film division of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions that acquires and produces feature films to be released either theatrically, on demand, or through streaming services. Once a film is finished, Sony Picture ...

Premise

Best friends Malik and Eric come of age in the Cabrini-Green housing complex in the early 1990s.

Cast

* Blake Cameron James as Malik * Gian Knight Ramirez as Eric *

as Anita * Avery Holliday as Amber * Ora Jones *

as Jason *

as Dolores * Giovani Chambers as Slug

Production

In May 2022, it was announced Minhal Baig would write and direct the film, with

principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

commencing in and around

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Release

''We Grown Now'' had its world premiere at the

on September 8, 2023. On October 4, 2023,

acquired distribution rights to the film. It had a

limited theatrical release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

in the United States on April 19, 2024.

Reception

Box office

''We Grown Now'' grossed $35,344 from 9 theatres during its opening weekend in the United States.

Critical response

Accolades

At the

, the film was the winner of the Changemaker Award. The film also won the Audience Choice Award for Best U.S. Feature at the 2023

Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...

. In 2025 received a nomination at the

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding perform ...

References

External links

* {{Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Film 2023 films 2023 drama films 2023 independent films 2020s buddy drama films 2020s coming-of-age drama films Participant (company) films American drama films American buddy drama films American coming-of-age drama films American independent films Stage 6 Films films Films scored by Jay Wadley Films set in 1992 Films set in Chicago Sony Pictures Classics films