“Queen and Slim” is a story about love and violence. In a world where there are still so many people separated by hate and fear, this movie shows us the dangers of continuing the cycle.

When driving home after a first date, Queen — Jodie Turner-Smith, and Slim — Daniel Kaluuya, are pulled over by a cop and end up with a gun pointed at them. In an act of self defense they wrestle the gun away from the police officer and end up shooting him. Now they’re on the run, trying to get away and out of the country before the cops catch up to them.

The two main characters in “Queen and Slim” were complete opposites. However, the difference between them shows their take on their current situation, why they make the choices they make, and what it feels like for them. Slim is calm. He is always looking for a way to find a solution in the most peaceful way possible. You could tell he cared about life, based on his parents’ teaching in love and respect. On the other end of the spectrum, Queen is a bit on the wild side. She is a radical thinker, and believed that when someone was out for you, it was your job to take them down first. Her mistrust and determination stemmed from her rough childhood and her job as an attorney, where she saw people wrongly imprisoned or given harsher than necessary sentences every other day.

Queen and her semi-Darwinistic views over race caused the whole situation, so much so, that she could be considered a little crazy. Almost every decision she made seemed to further the plot in a mostly non-beneficial way for the couple, digging them deeper and deeper into their predicament. However, as Queen and Slim spent more time together, they began to understand each other and influence their view on life. Slim became more firm in his resolve to get away and fight the police that were coming after them. Queen began to relax a little, trying to enjoy every moment they were given in life like Slim had been doing.

Some people might think of this movie as a love story, but it’s unclear if their relationship is truly love or just the product of comfort and desire. When the two met on their first date, it went okay. But when they were on the run they fought at every turn and it just seemed unrealistic that they would love each other as much as they had at the end of the movie. Granted, they did get a glance at each other’s previous lives which had spraked an understanding between the two, but it’s uncertain if they became closer because they really accepted each other, or because they were pushed together by the pressures of their struggle.

Other than the plot, there were two amazing elements to this movie. The first was the cinematography. The sequences and views the film presented were so emotive that you couldn’t help but to think what it would feel like to be there, to connect the weather and the lights with the event. At one point in the movie, there is a flashback to a previous scene only showing a little boy looking out onto a sunset as a monologue plays in the background. You’re immersed in the meaning of the words because your not focused on who’s saying and what’s going on around him. You can remember what happened with that little boy and how much of an impact their journey was having on everyone around them. You’re forced to think about what he’s saying.

The second good aspect was the music. Every song perfectly matched the mood of what was happening. The general tone the film was trying to convey was meaningfulness. As a result, most of the music had a slow jam feel to it. There were some that were more upbeat and had more bass, but all of them got you in the mood to see what was happening.

This movie was all about the journey. It was focused on the violence that exists in the world and the ways different types of people address that violence. This was so much so that the audience didn’t even know the main characters’ real names until the end of the movie. It was thought provoking, emotional, and intense a such a great way. “Queen and Slim” was a real trial of will and moral judgement.

A+