American Son | Film Review

Hey Guys x

Like many other films that I've reviewed this month, this is a movie that I saw randomly on Netflix and thought that it sounded really thought-provoking and intriguing, so of course I had to watch it.

It's about an estranged interracial couple (Kerry Washington and Steven Pasquale) who are brought together in a police station as they wait for news about their missing son.

I had no idea what to expect going into this film, so when I started watching I was pleasantly surprised by it.

For a start, I didn't know that it was a play, which is immediately obvious as soon as it starts. Not only is it filmed like a play, in terms of the fact that it takes place in one small finite location with a limited number of actors, but the dialogue they use makes it clear that it was written for stage rather than screen.

Because it's a play, it is extremely dialogue heavy - not a lot actually happens that doesn't come from their mouths, so whether this is a good thing or not is all about personal preference. I liked this because it's so different from a lot of the movies I usually watch, but if you don't care about what either of them have to say, then it seems pointless to even start watching.

Speaking of the dialogue, the conversations between husband and wife feel so realistic. It feels like absolutely nothing was held back and they were both saying really important things that people in the real world would usually be admonished for saying, which made the film feel really real. It seemed weird to openly see two people discussing race from their own points of view and not holding back their negative or stereotypical views. Even if you don't agree with the things one said, that only adds to the story.

Having said this, it kind of loses its way in the last half hour. We as the audience and the people in the film both lose track of why we're here, which gets extremely frustrating for a while.
In addition to this, the movie that was really tightly held together begins to unravel as soon as the lieutenant character is introduced. I found myself thinking that the character was a bit pointless.

And then the ending. Again, it was real, but for me it was really abrupt and jarring, and it kind of made me feel like some of my time had been wasted. Not that I didn't enjoy the ending, I just thought that it would have gone on for a bit longer than it did.

Overall, this is an important movie that will give you more questions about your own thoughts and feelings than answers about those of the character's, but if you're looking for something that is pure entertainment to escape real life, you might want to give this one a miss, or wait until you're in the mood for it.

7.5/10

Lou