Pop Smoke's death casts shadow over his 'Boogie' film debut

“Boogie” is a sometimes-fascinating film about the pull of culture and family on a teenager trying to figure out his complicated life.

Eddie Huang, the restaurateur who created the show “Fresh Off the Boat,” wrote and directed the movie, which features a promising debut performance from Taylor Takahashi in the title role. Taylour Paige, as Boogie’s girlfriend, is even better. She’s riveting as her character expresses both frustration and burgeoning confidence.

But there’s a shadow hanging over the film, which opens in theaters Friday. Pop Smoke, the rapper making his film debut as Boogie’s rival, was killed after filming completed. The tragedy doesn’t overtake his performance or the film, but knowledge of his death definitely colors it.

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Alfred Chen (Takahashi) is a gifted basketball player with dreams of the NBA. But so far he doesn’t have a major college scholarship offer. His father (Perry Young) has transferred Boogie (“I prefer my stripper name,” he tells a teacher) to a new school, so that he can showcase his skills. And more importantly, so that he can compete against Monk (Pop Smoke), a legendary player at a rival school who turns out to be a rival in more ways than one.

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For his father, anything less than Boogie making the NBA would be considered a failure. Mr. Chen (we never learn Boogie’s parents’ first names) and Mrs. Chen (Pamelyn Chee) fight constantly, each belittling the other and their choices in what has become the family business – the basketball business, as one person puts it.

The pressure on Boogie is incredible, on the court, in the classroom, around the dinner table at home. He begins flirting with Eleanor (Paige), who has sworn off seeing athletes. But Boogie is persistent in his sometimes obnoxious attempts to impress her, and she slowly warms to him.

Boogie pays frequent visits to the outdoor court where Monk reigns with absolute swagger, watching, taking mental notes. During his own games, Boogie frustrates his coach (Domenick Lombardozzi) by freelancing too often. A meltdown in front of scouts is particularly inopportune; some schools are concerned about his temper.

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Mrs. Chen – who blames Boogie’s temper on her husband, naturally – has had enough. She secretly starts working with an advisor, Melvin (Mike Moh), who wants to steer Boogie to a Chinese professional league. He’ll make money and he will be hailed as a conquering cultural hero, Melvin assures. Of course, no one bothers to consult Boogie. And there’s a catch: Boogie will lose his college eligibility if he signs.

The screenplay occasionally dips into clichés, but the relationship between Boogie and Eleanor feels genuine. That’s largely due to the performances. Takahashi has a breezy confidence that he blends with Boogie’s confusion and anger – a potent combination. Paige is magnetic. Like Boogie, she has her own issues to deal with. In the scenes between them, good as Takahashi is, you gravitate to her. Her intensity holds the screen.

Pop Smoke’s role is more one-note. He’s the villain in the story. He sells it, though. Monk is as cocky as it gets, talking trash in the most personal of terms to get into Boogie’s head. Well, into anyone’s head he happens to play against. But he knows Boogie is his ultimate opponent. The season and the film build toward the game between their schools. The showdown doesn’t play out exactly as you might expect, until it kind of does.

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There’s a lot of promise here, all over the film, and not just with Takahashi and Paige. Fans of “Fresh Off the Boat” know that Huang can be funny (though he didn’t like it). It’s nice to see him stretch out into more dramatic territory, even if he’s not quite on as sure footing there. Certainly “Boogie” makes you want to see what’s next.