Sleight (2017) Movie Review

At the heart of Sleight is its characters. Strong relatable characters that make you become personally invested in the high stakes in which they are involved. Bo (Jacob Latimore) is just a kid forced into manhood early after his mom dies. You feel for him as he struggles to try and take care of his younger sister while maintaining his moral compass at the same time. Holly (Seychelle Gabriel) finds her way into Bo's life with a heart-tugging story of her own. Both characters are on an unavoidable collision course that you can only hope ends for the best.

With superhero movies being all the rage for well over a decade at this point, I've gotta give credit to the rare ones that offer fresh takes on the genre. Sleight is extremely original, something you will walk away saying you haven't seen before. Where most origin stories start off with the main character already having a somewhat decent life (Batman, Thor, Iron Man), Sleight thrusts you into the inner city where drugs, nightlife, and violence are at the forefront. It's not long into the film you realize just how badly Bo's world needs a hero.

Part-time street magician, part-time drug dealer, Bo's goal is simple: Make enough money from the latter to buy his way out of the seedy life and focus on raising his sister. He's playing a dangerous game, however, as his boss Angelo isn't the easiest of dealers to get away from. The decisions Bo has to make are like little land mines effecting every single slice of his life. I won't ruin how the superhero aspect comes into play, but I will say it's both cool and refreshing.

Latimore delivers a strong peformance as does Gabriel playing Holly. Believability is everything and both actor and actress managed to capture the strength and vulnerability of their respective characters. On the flipside, Dule Hill's performance as Angelo was not nearly as believable. His role as crime boss didn't quite scare me as much as other notable actors in a similar role.

This film is a definite sleeper and I was glad to be a part of the circle of people that have viewed it. I saw this film and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 two days apart. Sleight was better. I give it a solid 89.