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After World War I, Smoke & Stack are two notorious twins who arrive back in town after a stint in Chicago, rumoured to be working with Italian Mobsters. With the money they have, their plan is to open a Juke Joint to allow people around the town a place to go for entertainment and fun, but on the day of the grand opening, a few white people arrive who want to enter their establishment and end up causing a major problem for Smoke, Stack and the revellers inside.
I will start off with a few negatives, which are very nitpicky of me. I believe the trailers could have done a better job of showing some of the smaller scenes and other scenes without giving the movie away. They did a great job, but there is a montage at the end of the movie that would have been nice to have included to further throw off the twist, but to further the "something is going on" feel the trailer had. Hearing about the genre of this movie is a spoiler, although I understand why it is needed in some cases, having people talk about it leads you to expect and wait for it, which allows you to preempt moments, scenes and scenarios rather than simply enjoy the movie as it is. I mean, we are going to get there soon, so why spoil it for others? But other than that, this movie is great. Ryan Coogler has directed 5 films, and he is 5 for 5. He is following in the steps of Christopher Nolan and a few others who have not missed.
The story of two notorious twins trying to set up shop in their home town during the Jim Crow era, only for it to be disrupted by white people at a time when the Ku Klux Klan was attacking black people, is an interesting era to have this movie take place. Ryan weaves in religion, witchcraft and lore which includes the word 'Haints', something I heard whilst playing 'South of Midnight', having not known what a haint was before playing and to have it brought up here, a few weeks since 'South of Midnight' was released is a great continuation of folk-lore and history within the black community. With that said, the intertwining of religion and music in a period where secular music was referred to as the devil's music created an uneasy backdrop and soundtrack to the movie. It emphasised the power of music through generations, where it came from to where it is going, the talented people who produced/played music in those times of struggle as music is a form of escapism as well as a tool to create unity between people, which ironically leads to the main antagonist wanting to have, join and be with the people who are enjoying themselves for their own sinister gain under the guise of family and unity, through music.
There is a super deep cut moment for people who have watched the 'House Party' movies (specifically House Party 1), and there is a chant saying, "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire, we don't need no water let that motherf*cker burn" in that movie, which played in my head in this movies as there was a moment of symbolism of people having a great time in a party until the roof caught into flames.
The music, once again provided by Ludwig Göransson is that one-two punch Ryan and Ludwig provide in the films he directs and the other creates music for. These are two collaborators who work well together, just like how Ryan and Michael work well together. There is a specific scene in the movie where the music seems to transcend time, and it was amazing. The music is a character in this movie and plays a heavy, huge and important part, becoming part of the storyline itself.
The casting here is top-notch. Thinking about it now, although this movie is a majority black cast, we have white, native indian and east asian characters, other people of colour, which was interesting and refreshing to see. But moreover, that one-two punch we get with Michael and Ryan directing him is great. Although you are aware that Michael is playing two characters and often in the same frame, there is a distinct difference between the twins. I noticed immediately which twin was the more aggressive and which one was the calmer of the identical twins, which was also interesting as not only do they love and look out for one another and share an inseparable bond, they would also distance themselves when they feel they are in a scenario they perceive as threatening. Michael provides mannerisms and characteristics that make the twins look and feel different from one another. Another standout in this movie came from a new actor named Miles Caton as Sammie, who, in his first movie, THIS MOVIE, was phenomenal. The acting and singing performed by him has catapulted him into stardom. It will not take long for Hollywood to grab him and place him into something else very soon, and the same goes for Jayme Lawson, who was equally as good. I do not recognise her from 'The Woman King' and 'The Batman', so I will rewatch those, but she did a great job convincing me that she is also a young, up-and-coming acting force. Lastly, the other two actors who stole the show and their respective scenes, Delroy Lindo and Jack O'Connell. It is quite possible that I kept these two last, wait, Wunmi Mosaku, these THREE last, because they are British, and these three also carried the movie for me. Delroy as Slim, the old wise man who has lived through and seen a lot to share his experiences, Jack O'Connell as Remmick, the white man who wants to take something from another but dresses up his needs and his own motives under charm and persuasive tactics in the guise of unity and family and Wunmi as Annie, who provides the knowledge, exposition and heart with an heartbreaking storyline that I found quite touching. To mention Hailee Steinfeld at this point makes it seem as though she was not great, but she is great in everything she is in, from 'Hawkeye' to 'Bumblebee' and the voice acting she does in the animated 'Spider-Man' movies as Gwen Stacy.
One last thing, the costume design and the visuals are stunning. Ryan Coogler with his 'one take' shots that are now usually referred to as 'oners', long takes without a camera cut, panning from one moment or angle in a scene to another. The party scene was great for that, as it all felt seamless and rhythmic, flowing with the music. Needless to say, the shots, pictures, and imagery is stunning. The costume design is also excellent, with Ruth E. Carter's attention to detail. All the characters have a great look to them, with both Smoke and Stack dressing similarly but also very differently at the same time.
This is a solid cast for a small movie where they were all stealing scenes from one another like a 'free-for-all', and the twists and turns this movie makes are enough to have you stay until the very end and see the mid-credits scene, which can set up for a sequel. Although I'd be happy to leave this movie as it is, I can imagine a prequel with Smoke and Stack going through World War I, coming home to leave and go to Chicago to work with crime families there to finally get the money they need to lead us into this new film. I'd love to see the dynamics and storyline there, especially as the prequel could be set up as a completely different genre, and if they do a sequel ot this, maybe that could be another genre setting this franchise up as a franchise with three different genres. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and it deserves all the accolades it gets.
