If they ever cloned KenKen, rest assured, my reign of tyranny begins instantly because 2 of me would be a madness!! Just imagine, twice the reviews LOL! We are so glad to see big Uncle Jamie back on his feet! God is good!
We meet Fontaine, the resident drug dealer who is in a dark space after the loss of his younger brother and is one that keeps himself to himself on his daily routines. He lives with his mum who doesn’t get to see because she always stays in her room and just shouts out when conversating. After an altercation in the daytime with his rival drug dealer Isaac, Fontaine heads over to Slick Charles one of his customers, who’s in the middle of a fight with one of his many sex workers, Yo-Yo. Fontaine goes to confront Slick Charles who owes him money and encounters Yo-Yo on the way. He can get some of the money from Slick but is then fatally shot by Isaac as he leaves. The next day we witness Fontaine wake up and go through his normal day and again return to Slick Charles for his money but has no recollection of the previous day. Slick tries to inform him, but he finds it hard to believe so seeks out Yo-Yo to confirm the events. Once she does, he remembers seeing a mysterious van earlier in the day scoop up a bleeding man who resembled himself, so decides to try locating the van. They find the van outside a house; they enter and find an even more mysterious elevator. They come to the decision to go down the elevator and what do they find? A whole lab with the shot-up carcass of Fontaine laid up on a table. From here the movie turns into a real Scooby Doo Mystery Inc episode with revelations, conspiracies and drama! Its wicked!
This will be labelled one of John Boyega’s best roles by far as he plays the titular Tyrone/Fontaine. He sells the gangster well as this complex, cold and complicated figure. As the movie goes on his layers are stripped down more and it’s a good performance overall. To add his American accent is getting good or we the Brits are losing him LOL.
The highlight of the film, the legend in the game, the man who death couldn’t take down, the chief pimp himself Jamie Foxx, plays Slick Charles.
Absolutely hilarious from beginning to end with his pimp voice reminiscent of his stand ups. Hes the energy, the vitality and zest of the film. His dialogue, aggression and comedy are staggering. He’s the character you just always want to keep on screen. Teyonah Parris is the extravagant Yo-Yo. She brings her lavish and prodigal energy and simply completes this magnificent trio. Fairly newcomer J. Alphonse Nicholson takes on a small but effective role. We are then blessed with 2 other legends in also smaller roles, David Alan Grier as a preacher in one of the standout scenes, and… you will find out when you watch it. Overall, its good casting.
The movie embodies a kind of grainy, static, hazy grade layer of cinematography. It gives it that foggy retrofuturistic sentiment which is in line with the tone of the film. Accompanied with a stellar soundtrack from the likes of big Michael Jackson, Erykah Badu, Diana Ross and many more. I personally loved the I’m Going Down track performed by Jamie and Teyonah, awesome scene. I don’t think as a directorial debut for Juel Taylor, theres much to complain about. A sci fi themed tale based in the hood? He did an amazing job. We are proud of you!
We see John return to his sci-fi mystery Attack the Block roots and it’s a field he thrives in. He feels so committed to the role delivering an emotional profundity which is both informative and enjoyable. He totally owns a scene where he pours out his rage. This here is a very good example of a movie about race and stereotypes but done gracefully. It explores the typical inner rage black folks experience but blows it up and flips it into a vibrant, luminous fantasy story. It traverses the cliché of being “stuck in the trap” and magnifies it to levels which help educate on that mindset through fun and exciting narratives. Plus the chemistry between John, Jamie and Teyonah is worth the watch alone. The balance between humor, storytelling and sci-fi is well executed. Can’t stress how much of a good job they did here. The deep lying message to say YOU READING THIS REVIEW, ARE A CLONE! Yes you can question but can you prove I’m wrong? *insert mystery music*.
On the whole it’s an epic movie. I’d go as far as masterpiece, however, what I will say is it was the right decision to go straight to streaming. I’m not sure how well the marketing and planning would have translated at a cinema level. It’s a kind of film which won’t appeal to the masses. Those are intrigued by these themes will be drawn in automatically, and that works. Absolutely recommended.
What would you do if you could clone yourself? How did you react to that surprise reveal? Do you think this universe could be expanded on? Is this John’s best role? React and comment below…
