Sleight (2017)
Staci Layne Wilson
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Starring Jacob Latimore, Storm Reid, Seychelle Gabriel, Dulé Hill
Directed by J.D. Dillard
Like a cross between Chronicle and Dope with a dash of Now You See Me, Sleight follows a talented young street magician named Bo (Jacob Latimore) who is not only reluctantly caught up in the drug trade, but is experimenting on his own body to improve his illusions. When we meet him, he’s lost his chance at a college scholarship because he’s been forced to become the sole guardian of his little sister, Tina (Storm Reid), following the death of their parents; and he’s embarking on a relationship with a bright and beautiful girl, Holly (Seychelle Gabriel), who’s being physically abused at home. Things get worse from there.
Sleight’s core characters – including psychotic supplier Angelo (Dulé Hill) – are deftly drawn and well-played by the actors. But it’s Latimore who carries the film squarely on his shoulders; he has a believable camaraderie with everyone from the girlfriend he loves to the pusher he somewhat likes but also resents and fears. There’s a scene in which Bo is forced to chop up his boss’s rival, and while he has very few lines, the actor manages to convey a range of emotions that brings real pathos to his performance.
But overall, the tenseness of our hero’s tribulations are severely shrunken when we see that Angelo’s cartel crew consists of his two buffoonish buddies (shades of The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight). Angelo is supposed to be one of the scariest drug dealers in L.A.; even some dialogue hinting at larger forces at work behind the scenes would have been helpful in selling us that bill of goods.
In spite of all that’s going on, its many interconnecting themes, and its brief 90-minute runtime, Sleight is slow. About three quarters through the film, Tina says, “I hope it will all be over soon.” She took the words right out of my mouth. I know very well that writer-director J.D. Dillard put his heart and soul into making Sleight, and I don’t enjoy slamming movies that were obviously crafted with care and come from the vision of one dedicated artist, but as a reviewer I need to be honest and the fact is: Seeing Sleight was not magical for me. Though I did like that added element (I’ve read that Dillard is a magician himself, so that’s a nice personal touch), the movie doesn’t have the sense of shock and awe it tries for. There’s zero suspense thanks to predictable plot turns which are not helped by humdrum editing and standard-issue cinematography. What’s more, the superhero subplot is half-baked and never quite gels due to dodgy effects (Bo has a power-jack implanted into his arm, which looks like a sphincter) and lack of consistency.
Sleight gets an A for effort in combing sci-fi with street magic, but I just can’t recommend you rush to the theater to see it. This movie feels like a practice run. Hopefully the next collaboration between Dillard and Blumhouse – a “survival horror” called Sweetheart – will be better.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
