Seeking Mavis Beacon Review: Jazmin Jones’ Directorial Debut Is a Triumph

Technology takes the forefront in Jazmin Jones' directorial debut, Seeking Mavis Beacon, a buddy road-trip documentary about two friends on a quest.

Known as the most recognizable woman in technology, Renée L'esperance was once the cover model for the computer game Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. Renée hasn't been seen in public for almost three decades, prompting Jazmin Jones and Olivia McKayla Ross to uncover the secrets behind what happened to the primary face of Mavis Beacon.

We get to go along for the ride, stepping inside their self-made office with them as they piece together in real-time all their research on this famed figure who suddenly disappeared. We hear Olivia and Jazmin speak on their connection with Renée and witness numerous Black women express why the model is meaningful to them as a collective.

The documentary combines 90s MTV with Sofia Coppola's commitment to aesthetics to create a prominent visual language. It's "can't look away" beautiful, but Jazmin and Olivia are the real draws.

Their sincere friendship and dedication to giving equal parts of themselves to uncovering the mystery is what makes Seeking Mavis Beacon so compelling. Jazmin and Olivia exhibit bold vulnerability. They're relatable, likable, confident in expressing who they are, and not bashful about leaving their flaws on show for all to see.

The intoxicating, vivacious energy infused throughout comes from a boldness only youth provides. We've all found drunken confidence in the audacity of adolescence. Seeing Jazmin and Olivia feast on that feels nostalgic.

As with all reckless youth, it eventually subdues. The landscape of the world changes and the pressure of work/life comes crashing in. We watch as the years pass through birthdays, pandemics, and seasons, and suddenly, we reach adulthood and realize that our audacious goals aren't always where we land our feet.

While navigating an evolving world, Jones provides an exploration of our relationship to digital landscapes. While we are all inherently "logged on", it is necessary to remember that we also have "a right to be forgotten". So much of the digital is feeling entitled to information we do not need to give, nor do we need to seek. What is it about this intangible space that makes us feel so bold to share every inch of ourselves without actually sharing anything at all?

The ultimate triumph of Seeking Mavis Beacon comes from Jazmin Jones committing to trusting her instincts and allowing us to come along for the evolution. After spending 100+ minutes watching the film's subjects remain in conversation with their moral compass, the final act feels like releasing a breath you didn't know you were holding.

Seeking Mavis Beacon is one of the most contemporary commentaries on our relationship to self, to the digital, and to each other to grace the big screen. To think this is the first film the world has been gifted by Jazmin Jones is thrilling. There can only be more thoughtful, insightful, vulnerable, passionate stories to come.

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