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Queen & Slim

2019

Melina Matsoukas

Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Chloë Sevigny, Bokeem Woodbine ...

6.3

1,731

Drama “Queen & Slim” is an exploration of America’s social and political climate through the lens of a genre-defying love story. The film centers on a black man and black woman who go on a first date that goes awry after the two are pulled over by a police officer at a traffic stop. They kill the police officer in self-defense and rather than turn themselves in, they go on the run.

	Author	Review
United States	Eric Kohn IndieWire	"An emotional lament that's powerful even when it stumbles (...) It’s hard to imagine another American movie in 2019 that radiates with the fury and frustration that sets 'Queen & Slim' ablaze in its opening minutes"	POS
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"An iconic if somewhat uneven 'black Bonnie and Clyde' story (...) Matsoukas puts greater attention on the look, feel and musical signature of the project than she does the plot, which feels thin and familiar"	NEU
United States	Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter	"A road trip that zigzags between the lyrical and the heavy-handed (...) A less muddled, less self-conscious 'Queen & Slim' could have been an indelible waking dream. Instead, it's hit-and-miss."	NEU
United States	Todd Gilchrist The Wrap	"'Queen & Slim' is convincingly and unapologetically multidimensional in its portrayal of its characters (...) [It is] thought-provoking, profound and deeply affecting"	POS
United States	Peter Travers Rolling Stone	"A bold new take on an old tale — and a brilliant piece of protest art (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Tim Grierson Screendaily	"[Its] cumulative impact mostly justifies the tonal inconsistencies (...) Unfortunately, the film’s episodic structure can lead to unsatisfying detours, and the characters’ behaviour sometimes feels needlessly arbitrary"	NEU
United Kingdom	Jimi Famurewa Empire	"Anchored by the magnetism of Kaluuya and Turner-Smith, 'Queen & Slim' crackles with urgent anger and provocative swagger (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"Even as the plot moves forward in a straight line, its episodes have their own shape and integrity (...) What lingers, though, are strains of anger, ardor, sorrow and sweetness"	POS
Canada	Radheyan Simonpillai Now Toronto	"[Its] symbolic weight can also feel like a burden. Having meaning imposed on the couple tends to kill the vibe (...) Plot machinations drag down those beautifully quiet, intimate scenes"	NEU
United States	Brian Lowry CNN	"A film that feels bracingly original in its tone (...) Part of that stems from the way the filmmakers balance the movie's elements -- finding humor and tenderness in developing a love story"	POS
United States	Sheila O'Malley rogerebert.com	"I responded strongly to the film's sense of scope and scale. The 'rhetoric' of 'Queen & Slim' reverberates with anger and love and mourning (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United Kingdom	Benjamin Lee The Guardian	"It’s tempting to fall for, thanks to impeccable work from Matsoukas and Kaluuya, but by the end, for a film so focused on love, I wanted to feel a bit more of it (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United States	Darren Franich Entertainment Weekly	"Maybe all America needs is just a good solid road movie (...) Some sequences are fascinating"	POS
United States	Natalie Zutter Den of Geek	"[A] brilliant protest of police brutality (...) that brings not just two strangers, but the entire black community together (…) Rating: ★★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Caryn James BBC	"A suspenseful, beautifully realised road movie (...) Kaluuya continues to grow even stronger as an actor (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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