Shane Conto
What has John Boyega been up to since his breakout time with Star Wars? There hasn’t been much, but Boyega dipped his toes into another franchise (Pacific Rim) and took on a much meatier role in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe. But what is on the docket now for him? His latest film is a mix of a drama and action flick which on the surface would seem interesting. Take the life of a public defender who never catches a break. What if you take that passion from him and pair him with some people with a more…criminal nature? It sounds like you have yourself a new film called Naked Singularity (available now on physical media)!
But one big question for you…what the heck is naked singularity? The film spends time trying to get philosophical and broadly thematic…but that is not the best use of the film’s time. One character portrayed by Tim Blake Nelson (always a delight to see on screen) is just a walking exposition dump of the themes and big ideas of the film. Was this necessary? In the grand scheme of the film, probably not. The film has enough focus on ideas when it comes to how the less privileged are treated and how messed up our system of law is. There are also enough characters to latch onto that the narrative could have been streamlined a bit more.
Even with a bit of a bloated narrative and themes that are overly broad, what about the film makes this one worth watching? The performers really make the film. Boyega is given more to do in this film than he has in any of the franchises he has been involved with and he rises to the occasion. He is a charismatic lead worth investing in. The real star of the film must be Olivia Cooke. Her character, Lea, is a wild card. You can expect most of the characters in the film to act in a certain way, but Lea keeps the audience on their toes. Throw in Bill Skarsgard who turns his character up to 11 (for the audience’s benefit) and you have an interesting group of protagonists. Ed Skrein (of Deadpool “Francis” fame) delivers an intimidating, if not one dimensional, protagonist to throw in some spice.
Does Naked Singularity deliver a meaningful cinematic experience that is worthy of your time? The narrative might be bloated with all its crime thriller trappings and weighed down by some inflated themes but there is fun to be had here. The cast is worth the experience and the general underdog narrative is easy to connect with. Check this new crime drama right now on physical media.
