‘Queen & Slim’ Asks A Lot Of You and Offers Little In Return

This is not a traditional review, there are plot spoilers throughout. If you have not seen the film and want to go in blind, my non-spoiler rating of the movie is about a 6 out of 10. Great visuals, pretty good performances. Weak and sometimes irresponsible script. Personally Speaking… The second time a police officer pulled his gun on me, I assumed that was where I would leave us. The first time I was shocked and surprised. I assumed what was happening could not possibly be happening. The second time, I was experienced. I assumed the worst, but I still performed as if I might survive it. I was not yet married, hadn’t even met the woman I would call my wife yet. But I was old in this stage production. I had learned how to de-escalate white people with power over me years before. The suburban high school trained me for many things that will never be listed on the curriculum. When I did survive, when I was allowed to stand on that Pennsylvania highway so late at night, I didn’t want to keep driving. I found the first hotel that I couldn’t afford and slept there. I called the woman I was going to visit to tell her that plans had changed, I’d be there in the morning because I didn’t want to drive at night any longer. When she challenged me, I got loud. I never made it to my destination. As a writer I try to show more than I tell, but she could have used the benefit of being told why I was so scared. Why I was so angry. Unfortunately I could only show. Two years later, I would …