Films about the many ways we expect gang members and cops to relate to one another aren't unusual, but, sometimes a movie comes around that's really capable of taking those ideas to another level. This looks to be the case with Black and Blue, which stars Oscar nominee Naomie Harris and Tyrese Gibson as a pair of old friends who have to try to evade both gang members and crooked cops after Harris' character witnesses a murder. Take a look at the thrilling action for yourself:
Oh, damn. Well, this is the tightest of tight spots, isn't it? When rookie cop Alicia West (Harris) witnesses crooked cops murdering a drug dealer, and catches all the unfortunate action on her body cam, she is immediately a target for those who did the deed. But, when she manages to get away from them with her life intact, they realize that the only way to keep her quiet is to get some help bringing her down.
While they enlist the help of other dirty cops in New Orleans, they know the best way to keep Alicia quiet is to put the word out that she's actually the one who killed the dealer, which leads to Alicia running for her life over the course of one intense night, with the eventual help of her old friend Milo “Mouse” Jackson (Gibson), and a price on her head that every gang member and criminal sympathizer is trying to win, all while she attempts to get her body cam footage in the right hands before it's too late.
Black and Blue, which is directed by Deon Taylor (The Intruder, Meet the Blacks), looks to be an action-packed movie filled with tense moments, but it clearly has a solid basis in real world fears and issues. The use of body cameras on police officers has become a hot-button issue in recent years, as has the idea of how justice is done when those who are supposed to protect us don't, and Black and Blue will be looking closely at both of those things.
Another big issue at hand in Black and Blue will be standing by your principles and doing what you believe is right no matter what the consequences may be. Once Alicia gets away and realizes that she has dirty cops and every criminal in the city after her, she could have easily made the decision to get out of New Orleans, shave her head and try to start over. But, she pursues the idea of getting her body cam footage out in the world for all to see, at even greater risk to herself.
A stacked cast is joining Harris and Gibson in Black and Blue, with Frank Grillo (The Purge: Election Year), Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Beau Knapp (Destroyer), Nafessa Williams (Black Lightning) and Reid Scott (Veep) also coming along for the dramatic and socially relevant ride.
Black and Blue will be in theaters on October 25, but in the meantime be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in movies, TV and pop culture.
