Blindspotting: Review by @Kush_Hayes

Its a fantastic year for Cinema in Oakland. At the top of the summer we had Sorry To Bother You by Boots Riley and while it was only a set at the top and bottom of Black Panther from the top of the year, Blindspotting, is Absolutely Oakland as is its Headlining Co Stars and Writers Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casel.

Director Carlos Estrada takes our Oakland Natives through what changes The Town is facing in Modern times as well as just inner changes. Events that have happened in their lives, specifically Diggs character, Collin who’s PTSD from the events that put him in jail and placed him on probation, only enhance when he is witness to a civilian shot in the back while running from the Oakland Police Department.

Collin has several Damoclean swords hanging over his head in this story. Hes just three days from getting out of the halfway home assigned to him by Alameda County prison, and he keeps finding himself in positions where going back to jail may be inevitable thanks to just random actions of Oakland itself as well as the even more chaotic choices and reactions his lifelong friend Miles keeps displaying around his friend who has a lot to lose.

Cultural changes and gentrification are recurring themes along with police brutality and the fear of people trying to readjust their lives for the positive being negatively judged.

Many characters and situations feel incredibly familiar and real as this Bay Area native watched this movie that technically came out over a week ago. I laughed with characters. I felt scared for characters. I hated the actions and reactions of our characters. This is a solid solid movie with a fun East Bay Hip Hop EP Soundtrack including Mistah FAB and E-40. I look forward to seeing this movie again and placing it on my Favorites list of 2018.

Five out of Six Blueberries

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