Queen & Slim (2019) Review

"Well if it ain't the black Bonnie and Clyde."

-Uncle Earl

After a mediocre first date, Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) gives Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) a ride home when they are stopped by a cop.  The encounter goes south and Slim kills the cop in self-defense.  Now these two virtual strangers have to leave everything they know behind and make a run for it with only each other to rely on.

What Works:

I really like the characters of both Queen and Slim.  They are extremely different individuals with very little in common.  Queen is logical and cold, while Slim is very emotional, religious, and family-oriented.  It's an interesting dynamic.  At it's core, this is a movie about two strangers who have to go on the run together and end up falling in love.  These characters make it work.

Daniel Kaluuya is a fantastic actor and the best aspect of the movie.  He really brings the performance and the phone call he has with his father is heartbreaking.  He is very easy to empathize with.

This movie deals with some tricky issues.  Race and police relations are the focus of the film and the movie handles it with nuance.  Yes, the movie kicks off with a bad cop, but it shows there are a few cops out there that are willing to do the right thing.  We also get a variety of perspectives from black characters and I like that the movie is willing to say a variety of things without losing the overall impact.

Finally, the sequences where the cops are closing in on Queen and Slim are really well done.  We get some really intense moments that leave you on the edge of your seat.  These characters are not safe and the movie never lets you forget it.

What Sucks:

Queen & Slim is too long and has some pacing issues.  We get a bunch of scenes in a row where Queen and Slim stop their car and take a break from running for virtually no reason.  There are seriously four of these in a row.  One or two would have been much better.  First they stop to dance, then they stop to pet a horse.  Both of these scenes are frustrating because they are very stupid decisions.  Keep going!  Don't stop!  It didn't feel realistic at all.  Immediately after, they stop again because their car stops working.  That's good.  It makes sense.  Then they stop to visit a graveyard.  This one is tolerable because it's such a big character moment.  Cutting the first two would make the movie much better in terms of pacing and it would make more sense from a character perspective.

Finally, I have some issues with the editing.  There are scenes where we hear the characters talking, but don't see them speaking.  It makes it seem like they are telepathic, but it's actually dialogue from the next scene.  This technique never works for me.  Just show me the scene.  Don't get too fancy with it, especially if the artsy stuff is detrimental to the story.

Verdict:

Queen & Slim has some excellent characters, an interesting story, thrilling moments, a nuanced message, and a solid performance from Daniel Kaluuya, but the pacing is out of whack, there are some really stupid character decisions, and wonky editing.  Overall, I would say it's worth watching.

 7/10: Good