Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Ahston Sanders seems like he enjoys playing Black folk who have it hard and it might not get better for them, don’t he?
| Director(s) | Joe Robert Cole | |
| Writer(s) | Joe Robert Cole | |
| Release Date (Netflix) | 5/1/2020 | |
| Noted Cast Members | ||
| Jahkor | Ashton Sanders | |
| J.D. | Jeffrey Wright | |
| Jahkor’s Girlfriend | Shakira Ja’Nai Paye | |
Official Synopsis
As soft-spoken Jahkor Abraham Lincoln (Ashton Sanders, Moonlight) struggles to keep his dream of rapping alive amidst a gang war in Oakland, his ill-fated life and real-world responsibilities drive him further and further across the line of right and wrong with tragic consequences. Landing in prison beside his father, J.D. (Jeffrey Wright, Westworld) whom he never wanted to be like, Jahkor embarks on an unlikely journey of self-discovery, exploring the events that unite them, in hopes of helping his newborn son break a cycle that feels unavoidable.
Cast Guide
Jahkor (Ashton Sanders)
Brief Description
Traumatized at a young age due to his father’s anger and willingness to inflict violence, Jahkor seemingly always knew the path to avoid in life. However, the streets are always willing to give and when it comes to young men like Jahkor, also willing to take. So when desperate for cash, he finds himself not forging a new road but the one which led his dad to prison.
J.D. (Jeffrey Wright)
Brief Description
While you don’t gather much beyond the usual thug persona from the trailer, one could assume J.D. got caught up in the game and figured it would be too hard to get out. After all, how does one become legit with a record and not being a soldier of the US military but the streets? For people like J.D., you don’t.
Jahkor’s Girlfriend (Shakira Ja’Nai Paye)
Brief Description
Young, in love, and now pregnant, while she is Jahkor’s sun, she is also that fire on his ass that leads him to making foolish decisions. Mind you, not because she tells him he needs to put in that work, but because, for all that can be said about his dad, it does seem he was a provider. So, to be better than his father, smarter perhaps, he has to at least do the few good things J.D. can claim.
Our Impression
So, can we all agree the trailer pretty much gave most of the movie away? Mind you, there will likely be emotional moments, I have high hopes for Jahkor and his girlfriend being cute, maybe some real deal father and son conversation. But, there is something about trailers nowadays that just seems lazy. I mean, take note: We learn Jahkor gets homegirl pregnant, he follows in his father’s footsteps – including ending up in jail, and it just leaves you to wonder what’s left? Is he going to get shot and die?
But, while the trailer is frustrating, with a cast like this, you already know there is going to be ace performances. It’s just, do performances from talented actors get undermined by you knowing the direction of their character? On May 1st, we’ll find out.
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