A large black male selling loosies on the street is shot to death by a cop with a questionable history. Passerby Manny films the incident which ignites protests. He is eventually arrested for being in the wrong place with the wrong people. Dennis is a black cop who witnesses the interrogation. He is caught in the middle of two worlds as the shooting gets investigated. He passes by as Zyrick gets searched by two cops. Zyrick is a high ranking baseball prospect who finds himself struggling between the day-to-day racism and his ticket to a better world.
Of course, this is referring to the Eric Garner incident. As soon as the guy selling loosies shows up, I was worried that this would be handled poorly. That part's fine. It's the inciting incident but not a big part of the movie. I don't like the passing-the-baton structure. There are interesting moments but I want the leads to be more connected. Quite frankly, the story of Manny and Zyrick can be combined. The more dramatic ending would be Dennis confronting Zyrick after the protest. Overall, the movie tries to handle the difficult story material with care. It does need more than intention for a compelling story.
Of course, this is referring to the Eric Garner incident. As soon as the guy selling loosies shows up, I was worried that this would be handled poorly. That part's fine. It's the inciting incident but not a big part of the movie. I don't like the passing-the-baton structure. There are interesting moments but I want the leads to be more connected. Quite frankly, the story of Manny and Zyrick can be combined. The more dramatic ending would be Dennis confronting Zyrick after the protest. Overall, the movie tries to handle the difficult story material with care. It does need more than intention for a compelling story.