Black & Blue

I kept this movie aside for quite sometime reading the poor reviews. I watched it after the recommendation of a friend. The movie was a pleasant surprise. A very good thriller with good suspense. Also, I learned that I shouldn't be always falling for the negative comments of users. Many of them gave negative review as the cops were shown as the criminals. But then there are good and bad people among priests also.

Not sure why they nitpicked on this one so hard - maybe they can't stand all the bogus high single-film reviewers, but still, far too many haters as well. I for one enjoyed it. The directing was on point, the screenplay was well put together with excellent pacing for the 108 min runtime. Sure there were a few plot issues and some cliches, but it was still very suspenseful and entertaining. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Cinematography and score were decent, and the casting and all performances were excellent. It's refreshing to be satisfyingly impressed when going in with low expectations. It's a very deserving 8/10 from me. To see how I review films, or read more of my 1000+ reviews, click on my username.

Starts with a black woman in a hoodie getting stopped while jogging. Confronts white cops with attitude, gets slammed against fence. Turns out to be fully fledged cop with her shield in her pocket. Aannnd that's about as subtle and nuanced as Black and Blue gets.

Even the scene where the cops get coffee later on is ramped up for tension.

Misfire. Could be so much more with a little more finesse on the script editing.

Very interesting narrative about police and race relations; but because of how the movie was executed, it falls short. Ok writing, acting, and plot. The main character, Alicia West played by Naomi Harris, story was pretty good. At times, because of the directing, her acting wasn't believable. Also, because of the spotty development of the secondary characters, it was hard to have any empathy towards them. In contrast, great use of background aka mise-en-scene, to deliver a message to the viewers that are watching. Lastly, I do like the overall message of the film which is that we all are people (especially black people and other people of color) and all we want is to be treated as such.

I didn't know why this movie had a low review. Went to watch it then thought, "Ohhh, now I see why." The low reviews probably come biased with the bad publicity for law enforcement lately. This movie portrayed some issues that happen to relate to law enforcement but sticks to its own plot for the sake of its own ENTERTAINMENT VALUE instead of political statement.

Good cast. Good acting. Suspenseful. More substance than Gemini Man. Straight up linear movie without offensive hidden agendas. The movie definitely deserves more praise. Come on, people!