Unless you’ve been living under a rock in the middle of nowhere, you know how nearly impossible it has been to escape the buzz surrounding the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. From the promotional partnership with Shonda Rhimes and ABC’s Thursday night lineup, to twitter hashtags and advertising on your favorite blogs, millions of dollars were cashed out to ensure that every time you opened your favorite app or stepped outside of your door, you knew the seriousness of the event; and now, the time has finally arrived.

Initially, I was skeptical.

Placing me as the butt of many jokes from diehard fans, I have never seen any of the six episodes of the story. And if you’re like me, then in the weeks leading up to the release, you’ve side-eyed the movie’s fanbase for their racially-motivated disapproval of one of the movie’s heroes, Finn, played by actor John Boyega. Long story short, I was in was in no rush to carve out time to watch all six episodes.

But when a friend asked if I was interested in seeing the movie the night before its official opening, I waved the white flag and decided to give in to the mania. I mean, if people are willing to have Star Wars themed weddings and permanently tattoo their bodies all because of a make-believe galaxy, far, far away, then it has to be worth checking out. Right?

When I pulled into the theater’s garage, there were traffic directors and barricades set up, so going in, I expected stampedes of crazed fans dressed in adult-sized costumes with light sabers in tow. Although crazed fans did show up in costume toting light sabers, the large crowds of Star Wars enthusiasts were more eager to see the movie than I had ever seen before, and were only focused on finding their seats inside the theater. The electricity was high, and I was happy to be a part of it. The anticipation was killing me.

After a small incident of finding a couple sitting in our seats — the same seats that my friend spent almost 30 minutes trying to secure on the theater’s website after it crashed when the tickets went on sale — the lights were lowered, and it was finally time see what all of the hype is about.

The crowd erupted with excitement as people cheered for a moment they previously thought would never happen. The movie’s original director, George Lucas, had previously stated that he would not produce any more installments, but when he sold his production company, Lucasfilm, to Disney in 2012, they announced that the sequel trilogy would follow.

The story of The Force Awakens is a classic ‘hero saves the day’ film. The storyline is clear, concise, riveting and entertaining, as the writers, Michael Arndt, and JJ Abrams (the film’s director) packed galaxies worth of information into a two-and-a-half hour movie.

As a screenwriter and filmmaker, I was able to pick up on moments during which my ignorance of the relationships between the characters would not allow for me to understand the depth of certain grandiose moments such as reunions between monumental characters. But, throughout the movie, my emotions often propelled me to the edge of my seat. I found myself laughing out loud as Chewbacca’s fun-loving personality took center stage and actively dodging shots from blasters during the intense and well-orchestrated battle scenes. It was also hard to ignore the movie’s well-rounded and diverse cast. Kudos to you, JJ Abrams, Kudos.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by my first Star Wars experience, and I’m looking forward to the next two installments, scheduled to be released in 2017 and 2019.

When did “the force” awaken in you? Comment below!

Alexis is a screenwriter, director and blogger, currently living in Los Angeles, working to get the stories of people of color and the underrepresented told and heard throughout mainstream culture. She can be found on Instagram @mylifeas_Lex_ and on Twitter @mylifeas_LEX.

Alexis Franklin

Writing since December 2015 · 1 story contributed