What do a pimp, a prostitute and a drug dealer all have in common? They are our unlikely heroes trying to get to the bottom of a cloning conspiracy that has been secretly operating without anyone's knowledge. This story is bizarre to say the least but there is just some magic happening that keeps you wanting more. The characters, the acting, and the writing just pull you in on the adventure that is basically Stranger Things for adults; that alone should sell you on this movie.
The story follows Fontaine, played by John Boyega; the local drug dealer and all around nice guy. Boyega gives a solid performance and great chemistry with his co-stars, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris. This is by far, Jamie Foxx’s funniest role of his career. His character, Slick Charles, is the local pimp who buys drugs from Fontaine. I can not remember the last time every line spoken by an actor has genuinely made me laugh like he did in this movie. He had so many quotable lines, I found myself reciting many of them days after watching. Parris plays a prostitute named Yo-Yo because as Slick Charles says, "you just keep coming back". Parris works for Slick Charles and has dealings with Fontaine so the three of them have an interesting dynamic and clearly a lot of history.
I very rarely rewatch a second time so quickly but I just knew I missed so many small details and after a second view, I was right. The locations are full of secrets and reveals that add so much depth to the writing. The second watch, I found myself just looking at every piece of decor in every scene to uncover more about the time/space this movie takes place in.
After you laugh for 90 minutes, you realize there is a really well-crafted story about systemic racism in America and on the system that keeps the ghetto's and its citizens from growing in any way. This modern day, large scaled version of The Truman Show is worth a watch.
4/5
Review by: Stefano Bove