+34
If King is the “bad” person who had some redeeming qualities, Bobo is just plain “bad.' In a film with a theme about how everyone ~has a story~, this portrayal is an odd choice 👀
is a Black 17-year-old living in Harlem, New York. He attends a fancy high school and is an aspiring filmmaker. He’s also on trial for alleged involvement in the murder of a convenience store owner that took place during a robbery.
The film is set during Steve’s trial with flashbacks showing his life leading up to his arrest and during the trial, the prosecutor calls him and another man who was involved in the crime “monsters” while giving his opening statement to the jury.It becomes quickly, heavy-handedly clear that Steve is not a monster. He loves film and photography. He’s a great student. He loves his adorable little brother. He helps his mom with cooking. He’s sweet to his girlfriend. He talks graphic design with his artist father. All of these things build out Steve’s character, which is fine when it comes to making the film’s key point: Black people are often judged by the color of their skin in the criminal justice system, when each one of them is an individual with a full life, a backstory, and the potential to be innocent.seen through that lens. As the movie clearly tells us, Steve is a human, not a monster. This is what his lawyer says they must prove to the jury and what Steve repeats about himself in voiceover. But, while proving that Steve is human,dehumanizes other Black characters, accidentally perpetuating a narrative that there are “good” Black people and “bad” ones. Steve, as we’ve established, is “good.” He is young and ambitious and comes from a middle class family. On the other hand, we have twenty-something James King . King is an acquaintance of Steve’s from his neighborhood. Steve is wary of him at first, because King is intimidating. But, when King turns out to be welcoming towards him, Steve uses him as a muse for his filmmaking. In the scenes that show King and Steve together, King is a whole person: He shares wise words with Steve. He plays basketball. He has friends. He exchanges stories over a game of chess with an old man in the park.But, this is Steve’s story, and King’s development is soon left by the wayside. We find out that King was one of the robbers of the store along with his cousin Bobo Evans and that he coerced Steve into telling him whether anyone was in the shop. At the end of the film, it’s a relief that Steve isn’t convicted and Harrison’s fantastic performance is responsible for that feeling. But, when Kingdoesn’t seem to be saying anything about that outcome. Yes, King is involved in the robbery, but should we feel for him, too? Is there a point being made in that he sees Steve as a snitch? Did the jury see King as an anonymous Black “monster” or did they just rightfully figure out that he was involved? King is the character who could easily be used to make a bigger statement about how Black Americans are treated by law enforcement and the justice system, or about how he ended up in the position that led to robbing a store in the first place. Instead, his story just fizzles out. Steve doesn’t even seem conflicted about King’s outcome and he had been forming a relationship with King in which heThen there’s the handling of Bobo and teenage character named Osvaldo Cruz . We barely see Bobo pre-robbery and he’s presented like a typical bad guy, looking tough and barely speaking a word to Steve when King introduces him. When Bobo pops up at the trial, it’s because he’s on the stand after taking a plea deal due to prior offenses. If King is the “bad” person who had some redeeming qualities, Bobo is just plain “bad." In a film with a theme about how everyone has a story, this portrayal is an odd choice.As for Cruz, he’s a teen from Steve’s neighborhood who has bullied him. This character is very simple: He’s mean to Steve. He’s in a gang. He’s young and in over his head. All of this seems to equal that we also shouldn’t feel too much sympathy for him, because all of that is reserved for the “good” Steve. Of course, there have to be people who are actually guilty in the case, but the film isn’t clear on what we’re supposed to make of them.is based on the 1999 young adult novel of the same name by Walter Dean Myers. While this adaptation from writers
Scratch the next story
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
It’s Not Just Elon Musk — These Billionaires Are Also NeurodivergentSome billionaires say their conditions helped them succeed in business.
Read more »
Why Dr. Fauci Thinks People Will Keep Wearing Masks SeasonallyIt's not just about COVID-19.
Read more »
'We're not going to stop,' family says of search for missing Texas motherThe family of Texas mother Erica Hernandez, who went missing three weeks ago, are clinging to hope of finding her alive. They say that Mother's Day was one of the most agonizing and lonely days they've had to endure since she vanished in April.
Read more »
Billie Eilish Revealed Her Inspiration for Going BlondeAnd it’s not a person.
Read more »
Netflix’s ‘Halston’ Does Not Reflect the Real Halston, His Family Says'This is in fact an unauthorized series about my uncle’s life and touching on fiction, I guess. Salacious things sell,” said Lesley Frowick, one of Halston’s six nieces, about the upcoming Netflix's series.
Read more »