Queen & Slim

Riveting from beginning to end.

A meticulously beautifully crafted film. Queen and Slim is our modern-day crossover blend of popular classics, Thelma & Louise and Bonnie & Clyde. The film also encapsulates the current race issues plaguing America, along with the human need for freedom, love, and community.

Plot & Characters

The story begins in a quiet night in an Ohio diner, where our two main leads Slim, played by Daniel Kaluuya, and Queen, Jodie Turner-Smith, are having their first awkward tinder date.

After dinner, Slim drives Queen home but after an unpleasant encounter with a police officer, their evening takes on a completely unexpected turn which leads both into a tragic and unforgettable adventure.

The film goes above and beyond in perfectly illustrating the current and ongoing injustice the black community is facing in America, helping the audience empathize and understand the situations which our leads encounter throughout.

Daniel Kaluuya proves, just as he did in 2017’s Get Out, that he is a force to be reckoned with. His talent as an actor is undeniable in incomparable. However, Jodie Turner-Smith is the breakout star in this film.

Turner-Smith delivers an exceptional nuance performance that is both highly sophisticated and incredibly relatable. Her character, Queen, has an incredible backstory that perfectly illustrates the reasoning behind her decision making throughout the film. Turner-Smith’s charisma, beauty, and talent are a rare finding in Hollywood. The movie business isn’t kind to dark-skinned actresses, but just as with Lupita Nyong’o, Turner-Smith is on the race to changing that.

After watching Turner-Smith in this role I am loudly advocating for her to be cast as our next Storm in the highly anticipated MCU X-men.

Director

Melina Matsoukas is yet another female director that joined the list of snubs at this year’s Oscars. Matsoukas is known for directing numerous music videos and makes her directorial debut in film with Queen and Slim. The fact that this is her first ever feature-film is mind-blowing and speaks to her capability in delivering high-quality art no matter the run-time.

Matsoukas’ work reeks of incredible talent that should, without a doubt, be recognised and rewarded. I am ecstatic to see what her future projects will be and hope that, when they do come into fruition, they will receive the recognition they deserve.

Cinematography & Soundtrack

There are moments during the film where you feel like you are watching back to back high-quality music videos that transcend the beauty and the tragedy of the story. Matsoukas’ music video directing talent is palpable throughout the film. The visuals and soundtrack are undeniably powerful in portraying the events that our leads experience during their cross-country adventure.

Awards

Again, the lack of recognition of the quality of this film has been unacceptable. No nominations in any of the major awards ceremonies. However, it has received praise by many critics and holds a critic approval rating of 82% on rotten tomatoes.

The lack of recognition might be due to Matsoukas’ rookie status as a film director which should soon change if her delivery continues to be as ground-breaking as this one.