The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (what a mouthful) is mostly formulaic and clunky. Everything tragic that can happen will happen, and they don’t unfold organically, so the film feels like a smushed version of every tearjerker drama produced in movie history. There’s also a surprising amount of death, which the film sadly doesn’t leave enough room to parse through. There is grief, sure, and sorrow, but there are also a whole lot of other things going on that distract from the lessons of those events. But to its credit, The Supremes is headlined by three strong actresses that make the film almost worth watching. The best parts of the movie are when they confront each other. These women are dynamic, passionate, and bursting with so much life, it’s a shame that the film would rather stick to conventions than follow the natural flow of their conversations, outbursts, and celebrations. I know it’s based on a novel of the same name, but it would’ve done well to narrow down the plotlines and tell them in a fresher and more dynamic way—you know, adapt it to film as opposed to just transplanting everything.

The chemistry between the ladies is enviable.