It's unfortunate that all the creativity ran out of steam just when the main plot kicked off, because all the familiarity could have been easily unfelt with a bit of the imagination Hiro Murai embellished the first act with; the animated intro sequence is a case in point. Nevertheless, almost everything else in this little movie is amazing; Donald Glover's vibrant performance, and his electrifying songs, Rihanna's charisma and lovely narration voice-over, Letitia Wright's appeal (her character is completely unnecessary, though), the lively and colourful cinematography that made the titular island anything but fictional place, just to name a few!

(7.5/10)

Guava Island could have been a lavish vanity project. Instead it's a little movie with a big heart. Full of musicality, beautiful locations, cinematography and people. Charming performances and a message to boot. It's also old school in the best possible way. Don't miss it! 8/10

This movie isn't just about Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) it's Hiro Murai's chance to prove he isn't just a director that does tv shows. Murai branches out into a movie that's essentially a big music video with a movie type plot. Murai does not disappoint in Guava Island he perfectly captures the retro look and gets the best out of the talent in this movie. I would highly recommend this movie as the acting is superb and the direction is superb.