Nick Clement brings us this short but sweet Queen and Slim review.
Slim and Queen’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation.
When the situation escalates, Slim takes the officer’s gun and shoots him in self-defence.
Now labelled cop killers in the media, Slim and Queen feel that they have no choice but to go on the run and evade the law.
When a video of the incident goes viral, the unwitting outlaws soon become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people all across the country.
This was very good if a little too long, but extremely stylish from a directorial POV and filled with strong acting and some great individual scenes.
As an entirely cohesive whole, there were some holes and odd narrative detours in Lena Waithe’s provocative script. A script which centers on the self-defense killing of a racist white police office by a young black man (Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya).
Kaluuya’s character had been pulled over for a relatively routine traffic stop while out on a first date with a possible new romantic interest (model turned actress Jodie Turner-Smith).
What follows is an interesting road movie with bursts of crime-related drama, and lots of hide-and-seek elements with the two love-birds seeking refuge from anyone who will provide it, while trying to devise a forever escape plan.
Kaluuya and Tuner-Smith have hot chemistry to burn (there’s a great sex scene), the ending definitely stings, and overall, the tone is a volatile mix of racial and sociopolitical hostility, with a major “F**k the Man” vibe running all throughout.
Queen and Slim review by Nick Clement.
The film is available on Blu-ray/DVD and via various streaming providers.
