“The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” is the latest straight-to-streaming release from Searchlight Pictures, the adaptation of Edward Kelsey Moore’s best-selling 2013 novel debuting this week on Hulu. Given its production values, that the film was routed right to home theaters feels appropriate. Oh, they’re fine, to be sure — they just won’t wow you.
That said, the friendship — the deep, heavily tested sisterhood — at the heart of director and co-writer Tina Mabry’s movie is big-screen-worthy. The bond shared by Black women Odette, Barbara Jean and Clarice is brought to life via two sets of actresses and two timelines. Together — and, unfortunately, at times, alone — they will face racism, disease, addiction, loss and pain.
As a viewer, you hope only that they’ll come out stronger for it on the other side. Although “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” briefly introduces us to Odette (an excellent Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor of “King Richard” and “The Color Purple”) late in her life before taking us back to a time shortly before her birth in 1950, the story begins in earnest in 1968. It is then that teen pals Clarice (Abigail Achiri, “The Underground Railroad”) and Odette (Kyanna “KeeKee” Simone, “All American”) befriend Barbara Jean (Tati Gabrielle, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”), who has recently lost her mother and faces living alone with her abusive stepfather.
(In a fun scene, Odette stands up to him in a way tha.