Hal King

This out of the box indie is a mixed genre modern opera film that works. Infused with Classical, Jazz and R&B tones, the subject matter is timely and engaging. Through well crafted music, lyrics, book, great voices and choreography, Steven Wallace and team have created a culturally relevant twist on an age old story. Great watch!

Hal King was very entertaining. I enjoyed the throwback to Jazz and other musicalities portrayed in the film. You have to stay til the end because the ending left me speechless. Well Done!

Beautifully written, beautifully shot, beautifully performed, Hal King is a magnificent film. An adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry IV and V plays, Hal King blends R&B, jazz, hip hop, gospel, and even a bit of Classical opera recitative to tell the story of a young man who only finds his purpose upon the death of the father he spent his adult life rejecting.

Tyrik Ballard gives a breathtaking performance as Hal, matched by fellow newcomer Sharae Moultrie as Kat French, the daughter of Hal's father's enemy. Their love story plays against a compelling backdrop of racial politics (with an alderman's race standing in for the Hundred Years' War). In support are powerful performances by Ryan Shaw, Tony McLendon, Dion Davis, Eric Roberson, Sophia Nicole Stevens, and Darien Dean.

Hal King is a wonderful work of art. How often do you see a black opera? The term opera is used loosely here in the fact that the film doesn't contain operatic singing but more so in style of the piece with all dialog being sung and how its separated by different acts or chapters like operas. The actors were convincing, the songs very melodic with some great deliveries by the cast. Many scenes were moving and heartfelt. I enjoyed it greatly!

I decided to watch this movie on a Sunday afternoon and I was glad I did. It's long and definitely a musical and the acting was okay but the whole entire movie itself was a great production. Hats off to the producer. Nice and different storyline relating to relationships.