J.D. Dillard
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Movies.com > Movie News > 'Chronicle' Meets 'Iron Man' Meets 'Menace II Society' in 'Sleight'…
One could see the film as akin to “Chronicle” or the year-one origin-story of a stripped down Miles Morales “Spider-Man” movie, before he actually transforms into a hero.
The combination that kept entering my mind as I watched it was “ Chronicle ” meets “ Dope ,” both in terms of its substance and what it similarly achieves with a minimal budget.
Like a cross between Chronicle and Dope with a dash of Now You See Me, Sleight follows a talented young street magician named Bo (Jacob Latimore) who is not only reluctantly caught up in the drug trade, but is experimenting on his own body to improve his illusions.
It’s as if Dillard wants to one-up “Chronicle” (which he manages to do in the cinematography department, at least), or else pile on to M. Night Shyamalan’s fast-expanding “Unbreakable” universe (Blum also produced the hit “Split,” after all).
On the surface, “Sleight” resembles an indie superhero film in the vein of Josh Trank’s “Chronicle”.
Like its protagonist, Sleight is a scrappy, semi-super origin story that lacks the existential heft of, say, M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, or the grim comic nihilism of James Gunn’s Super.
It’s as if Dillard wants to one-up “Chronicle” (which he manages to do in the cinematography department, at least), or else pile on to M. Night Shyamalan’s fast-expanding “Unbreakable” universe (Blum also produced the hit “Split,” after all).
Devotion doesn’t fall into tired tropes from the Green Book “here’s the story of my Black best friend” approach, nor does it emphasize gratuitous racial influence to reiterate a well-known period in history.
Featuring elements of both “Green Book” and “Red Tails,” the film is not just a stirring case of Black excellence; it also celebrates the one white officer who had Brown’s back, Tom Hudner, treating the bond these two men formed as something special unto itself.
While some will see the easy way that Brown gets along with the fellow white pilots as the Green Booking of history, it’s better to look at it that he has earned their respect and friendship.
But films like “Hidden Figures” and “Green Book” are choked by their white characters, both good and bad, taking time and focus away from the Black historical figures we came to the theater to learn about.
It’s a line that wouldn’t feel out of place in Christopher Nolan’s “The Prestige,” as Christian Bale’s thaumaturge pledges similar sacrifices to his craft at all costs.
Like a cross between Chronicle and Dope with a dash of Now You See Me, Sleight follows a talented young street magician named Bo (Jacob Latimore) who is not only reluctantly caught up in the drug trade, but is experimenting on his own body to improve his illusions.
If you came for an indie Now You See Me, you might be disappointed: The card tricks and illusions are few and far between.
It’s like Now You See Me, but with actual stakes.