Jeymes Samuel made an impressive directorial debut with The Harder They Fall, a re-imagined Black-centric western (my review). His latest genre to upend is the Biblical epic. LaKeith Stanfield plays a drug-dealing reprobate who decides to declare himself another messiah to raise money to pay off his gambling debts. While observing some of the standard tropes of the genre, this mashup tosses in dope smoking, a dance off and lots of humorous asides. While it tiptoes around sacrilege, the final sequences double down on the inspirational message. The cast also includes Omar Sy, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard and Benedict Cumberbatch (in a great surprise cameo) and their performances beautifully blend comedy and drama. This film is a challenging mix of satire and serious religion that’s achieved by Samuel’s smart script and skilled direction. If you’re not a fan of faith-based films, see this anyway, because it charts the continued upward trajectory of one of the most promising filmmakers on the horizon. 
(4 / 5)
