Film review: Queen & Slim

Over the weekend I curled up to watch Queen & Slim, a film directed by Melina Matsoukas and written by Lena Waithe. I had never heard of it before, but it ended up being one of the best films I've ever seen. 

The film is about Queen and Slim, a black man and woman who are driving home from a rather unsuccessful first date when they are pulled over by a policeman. The situation escalates and they find themselves on the run together, despite barely knowing each other. 

The film has a fascinating pace. It is both edge-of-your seat thrilling and slow moving at times, with beautiful moody visuals and songs. In some ways it feels like a Thelma & Louise-style roadtrip thriller, but the film has big, powerful things to say about racism and police brutality.  Queen and Slim seem to encounter all of America through the characters they meet on their journey: people who hate them, people who choose to help them and people who idolise them.

The film weaves political commentary in between action, romance and comedy with ease. I grew to love the characters as I observed them experiencing a lifetime over a few days. There is an existential mood to film, as the characters are aware that their lives could end at any moment, and take enormous risks to remain free and true to themselves.

The film is fictional, but its heroes represent and galvanise a social movement that is very much real. It is a film that is both painful and important to watch in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the global protests of recent weeks. I couldn't stop thinking about not just the story of the characters, but the bigger story that the film tells.