Queen & Slim stars Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya as the two title characters as they’re driving home from a first date. When they’re pulled over by a police officer, it leads to a heated argument that ends up with the cop dead. The two go on the run and are quickly pursued by the police. The two become the subject of a media frenzy, with protests breaking out in support for them, all while they fear for their lives at every turn.
This is a movie that’s going to divide a lot of audiences, due to its subject matter, depicting an ongoing issue in the world today. Though director Melina Matsoukas and writer Lena Waithe pull no punches when it comes to depicting such a harsh reality for those in the same situation as Queen and Slim are in, and shows the widespread effects these situations can have on others. This film is often heavy, yet thanks to its honest reflections of real life, is also very timely.
While this film is centered around two individuals on the run from the law, it’s not exactly a fast-paced, action-packed romp. In fact, the majority of the scenes center around Queen and Slim at various pit stops, and often takes its time to allowing these two to simply just have a moment, doubling down on their personalities from when they start the film. They suddenly don’t become Jason Bourne or Harrison Ford from The Fugitive over one incident. They’re still two very real people who just want things to go back to normal, and there are various moments that allow them to have the closest thing they can get to normal for just a brief moment.
And in those instances of somewhat-normalcy, the film will have these small “slice of life” moments. The film is very conversation-based, with Queen and Slim meeting countless individuals and getting into all sorts of exchanges with them. They defend their actions to the few that detest what they’ve done, while even managing to share an occasional laugh with some people who support them.
There are the occasional scenes where the two main characters sit around and ponder life for a moment, or just take an extended moment to breathe. Admittedly, some of these moments go on for just a bit too long at times, mostly towards the end of the film, as they slow things down and simply reiterate what’s already been established, that being the aforementioned notion that they're still very much staying true to who they were when this film started. Despite this, the film’s constantly honest portrayal of these two characters and their situation is one that will truly resonate with plenty of viewers.
Both Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith are both excellent, and both have a unique dynamic. Unlike most films of a similar nature, they’re not two people who are in love and want to be together, but rather are forced to stay together, and don’t necessarily have any sort of attachment to one another beyond the situation at hand. Since that attachment isn’t immediately there, they’re often more blunt with one another, not necessarily caring how they speak to each other, with Slim being very casual and laid-back while Queen is full of energy and often doesn’t have a problem shooting down what Slim may have to say.
The way in which these two would play off one another is certainly unique, and the charismatic performances from these two leads are what keeps audiences constantly interested in what happens next. The only thing I wish I saw more from them was a more in-depth look at who they were, not necessarily in relation to the situation at hand. Only so much is learned about Queen, while Slim’s backstory is almost nonexistent. These two are mainly compelling due to the performances of Kaluuya and Turner-Smith, as well as the fact they’re faced with a very real situation that allows the stakes to be truly felt. While it works, it just would have been nice to see more of who they are as people explored just a bit more.
Queen & Slim is a harsh, yet honest, film with timely, relevant subject matter that makes it one of the year’s most important films in terms of social commentary. It’s not an action-packed adventure but rather, it shows the effects an unjust system can have on countless individuals, which makes it all the more powerful. Led by two great performances from Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith, this will surely be a divisive film, yet one that is certainly worth checking out.
Recommendation: Watch It
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