Queen & Slim
Sparks don’t fly on the first date for Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Slim (Daniel Kaluuya). On the way home, the couple still can’t seem to agree.
But when red and blue lights flash behind Slim’s car, they finally get on the same page. Queen, a lawyer, immediately peppers Slim with questions: Is there a gun in the car? Drugs? Does he have any warrants? Devoutly Christian Slim scoffs: He doesn’t drink, and he’s never been arrested. Still, both are nervous when the officer approaches the driver’s window.
They should be.
The officer forces Slim out and bullies him into consenting to a search of the car. When Queen gets out of the car to film the officer, he draws his gun. There’s a scuffle, the cop shoots Queen in the leg — and in a matter of seconds Queen and Slim’s first date ends with them standing over a dead policeman.
Both know what it means. Queen has seen what happens to black people in the system, and she knows what happens to cop killers. She insists they run. Slim is too shocked to do anything but agree. They take off with no plan, knowing only that they can’t trust the system or the media to help them.
As Queen and Slim evade the law, the dash-cam footage of the incident is released to the media. The two become a Bonnie and Clyde pairing overnight, with some Americans viewing them as monsters and others seeing them as freedom fighters. They’re neither. They’re just two people trapped by unfair circumstances, desperate for a way out.
Can they find a path to freedom? Or do all roads lead to the tragedy?
Writers Lena Waithe (The Chi) and James Frey (A Million Little Pieces) offer up a story that tackles systemic racism, police brutality, generational trauma and the government’s failure to take care of its veterans. It’s a lot of dense topics, and the movie covers some better than others.
Director Melina Matsoukas makes her feature debut with a bold and poetic take on an American tragedy. Queen & Slim moves with a sense of dreadful inevitability. If you’ve seen the news, you know how the story will end. But the movie is about the journey, not the ending.
The performances are also a highlight. Kaluuya and Turner-Smith both shine as average people thrown into the extraordinary. Kaluuya is especially good as a devout, decent man who is suddenly seen as a thug by the world at large. His terrifying, unfair situation frays his beliefs.
Queen & Slim isn’t light holiday fare. It’s not a feel-good movie; It’s a film that will challenge a lot of conceptions and inspire lively conversations. It’s a story that should be told and a movie you should see.
Great Drama • R • 131 mins.
~~~ New this Week ~~~
The Aeronauts
James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) believes it’s possible to predict the weather. In 1862, that concept is laughable in scientific circles. To prove his theories, he recruits Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones), a balloon pilot known for her daring theatrics.
Can the pair move meteorology from a theory into a science? Or are they full of hot air?
Prospects: Flickering • PG-13 • 101 mins.
Honey Boy
Otis Lort (Noah Jupe) is a star before he can drive. Part of a hit TV show, Otis must contend not only with fame but also with a manic former-rodeo clown father (Shia LaBeouf).
As Otis grows, so do his resentment and his dependency on chemicals to make it through the day.
Written by LaBeouf, a former child star with an overbearing former rodeo clown father, Honey Boy is a sort of therapy exercise put to film. Teaming with experimental filmmaker Alma Har’el, LaBeouf explores his issues and pain by literally becoming his father. It’s winning raves for its emotional depth and honesty.
Prospects: Bright • R • 93 mins.
Playmobil: The Movie
Marla (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) is thrown into the weird and wonderful world of Playmobil when her little brother finds a magical portal. Here, everything is a little off and chaos rules. Can she find her little brother and make her way out of this odd world?
Essentially, this flick is a dumbed down version of the LEGO movies. If you have a little one, you may get stuck going to see it. But don’t expect humor that works for viewers who can spell their own names.
Prospects: Dim • NR • 110 mins.
Waves
Ronald (Sterling K. Brown) is determined to see his children succeed, pushing his son Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) to become a champion wrestler. But is the pressure too much for Tyler?
Director Trey Edward Shults has a knack for finding the little moments in family interactions that ring true, the little fights and words that can tear relationships apart. Waves will likely join the awards-season conversation this year.
Prospects: Bright • R • 135 mins.