Directors: Richard Davis & Jamila Marie
Release date: 2020*
Contains spoilers
*date from Tubi
I found this film on Tubi, a short feature at just over an hour running time. Unfortunately, I knew little more about it but some research suggested that it started life as a web series – though I don’t think it ever appeared in that format. It seems that production company Black Motion Media’s vision is to bring more minority ethnic performers to the screen – undoubtedly an excellent goal.
However, this was done on a budget and you can tell that. The film comes across as a labour of love, by enthusiastic filmmakers who will develop with time but, on this excursion, the lack of budget and inexperience shows.
It starts off with Jasmine (played young by Aimèe Térèse) running through woods or a park. She seems scared… Jasmine (Nadirah Shakir) wakes – she is with her psychiatrist (Patrick Lescarbeau). I thought by the badge she wears that she was a cop but it soon transpires that she is a PI and ex-cop. She was accused of excessive force, it seems, by her erstwhile partner Gerald (Fabian). She leaves her session early.
Jasmine and her intern Derek (Christopher Sky) have been approached by Jewel Cruz (Labeaud Colbert) to look for a missing woman, Melody (Vinzente Tayla Lowe) but Jasmine sends a message that she doesn’t do missing persons – and it is clear that Jewel is a Madam and Melody one of her escorts. Jewel is involved with Gerald (who is looking for Melody himself, or so it appeared).
Derek accidentally bumps into Melody, who asks to use his phone. It takes him a while to realise who she is and subsequently chase after her. When he catches up her eyes flash, she bears fangs and kills a nearby guy. The film then follows the machinations of the characters, with vampire hookers trying to break away from Jewel and Jasmine looking to stop girls vanishing from the streets…
The problem was that the narrative wasn’t brilliantly put across to the viewer and the dialogue was sometimes hard to follow… to the point that I put closed captions on and then discovered the issue was definitely the films as the captions had gaps where simply “indistinct” was shown. This doesn’t help a viewer follow your story, of course, nor does some under lit moments in the photography. That said the acting was enthusiastic for the most part and both Labeaud Colbert and Nadirah Shakir gave persuasive performances. Not every performance was to the same standard.
This may well have worked longer and in serial format but as a short feature it was lacking. However there was a brave effort with very little budget and, as the filmmakers grow in confidence, I am sure that they will have an impact and, hopefully, continue to showcase minority ethnic talent in increasingly better vehicles. This was a courageous first stab, with ambition, but perhaps it was a tad too ambitious for the moment. 3.5 out of 10.
The imdb page is here.
However, this was done on a budget and you can tell that. The film comes across as a labour of love, by enthusiastic filmmakers who will develop with time but, on this excursion, the lack of budget and inexperience shows.
 |
| Nadirah Shakir as Jasmine |
It starts off with Jasmine (played young by Aimèe Térèse) running through woods or a park. She seems scared… Jasmine (Nadirah Shakir) wakes – she is with her psychiatrist (Patrick Lescarbeau). I thought by the badge she wears that she was a cop but it soon transpires that she is a PI and ex-cop. She was accused of excessive force, it seems, by her erstwhile partner Gerald (Fabian). She leaves her session early.
 |
| Billionna Olivia Reyes as Ruby |
Jasmine and her intern Derek (Christopher Sky) have been approached by Jewel Cruz (Labeaud Colbert) to look for a missing woman, Melody (Vinzente Tayla Lowe) but Jasmine sends a message that she doesn’t do missing persons – and it is clear that Jewel is a Madam and Melody one of her escorts. Jewel is involved with Gerald (who is looking for Melody himself, or so it appeared).
 |
| Christopher Sky as Derek |
Derek accidentally bumps into Melody, who asks to use his phone. It takes him a while to realise who she is and subsequently chase after her. When he catches up her eyes flash, she bears fangs and kills a nearby guy. The film then follows the machinations of the characters, with vampire hookers trying to break away from Jewel and Jasmine looking to stop girls vanishing from the streets…
 |
| flash of red eyes |
The problem was that the narrative wasn’t brilliantly put across to the viewer and the dialogue was sometimes hard to follow… to the point that I put closed captions on and then discovered the issue was definitely the films as the captions had gaps where simply “indistinct” was shown. This doesn’t help a viewer follow your story, of course, nor does some under lit moments in the photography. That said the acting was enthusiastic for the most part and both Labeaud Colbert and Nadirah Shakir gave persuasive performances. Not every performance was to the same standard.
 |
| a body is found |
This may well have worked longer and in serial format but as a short feature it was lacking. However there was a brave effort with very little budget and, as the filmmakers grow in confidence, I am sure that they will have an impact and, hopefully, continue to showcase minority ethnic talent in increasingly better vehicles. This was a courageous first stab, with ambition, but perhaps it was a tad too ambitious for the moment. 3.5 out of 10.
The imdb page is here.
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