Mahershala Ali is a two-time, Oscar-winner for Moonlight (2016) and Green Book (2018). His talent was so recognized and his star was so on the rise that Marvel Studios hired him to play the character of Blade, a famous African American superhero who hunted and killed monsters, originally portrayed by Wesley Snipes in 1998. Ali was hired in 2019 and got stuck in development Hell. Over the course of half a decade, so many writers and directors were hired and fired, or left. One of whom was writer-director Bassam Tariq who has a Muslim connection, much like Ali. After the Blade film totally fell apart, Ali and Tariq decided to team up to do an independent film that utilizes all the preparation and work that was put into making the Blade feature, as well as centering on a Muslim family, which is something that is important to both of them.
Here, Ali stars as Latif, a single father with three children. He's recently become a single father when his wife suddenly dies. He's out of state, but he quickly returns home to Houston, Texas, in order to take care of his now motherless kids. His eldest daughter is an older teenager, probably around 16 or 17. His son is probably around 12 years-old. They can take care of themselves to some degree. Latif's true focus is his newborn baby daughter. Specifically, the newborn needs breast milk and won't take formula. Finding breast milk turns out to be not so easy, if you don't go through proper channels. Latif could go through proper channels like his brother-in-law doctor, Talib, played by Tramell Tillman (Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning), but he's hesitant to do so because Latif works as a hitman. The superhero Blade was a hitman too, one who took out vampires. Latif takes out monsters of a different type. The poster for this film even has Latif holding a blade, further cementing the relationship of this film to the aforementioned, Marvel Studios project.
It's not as much of an action flick as the Blade film would likely have been. There are about three action scenes here that increase in intensity. Yet, this film could be more seen as a thriller that's basically about a man trying to care for his baby. What complicates this is Mike, played by Laith Nakli (Ramy and 24: Legacy). Mike is the guy who arranges Latif's hitman jobs. When Mike's nephew, Hatty, played by Abubakr Ali (Law & Order: Organized Crime and Power Book II: Ghost), is threatened for death, Mike wants Latif to kill the person threatening Hatty. Latif refuses at first but agrees when Hatty turns out to be the key to feeding his baby.
It might seem antithetical, but Tariq's feature here could also be called a faith-based film. Unlike most in this country, this one puts the Muslim faith to the forefront. This isn't to the exclusion of other faiths. There is a very empathetic scene involving Mormons that doesn't look down on them as a religion. One could argue that Tariq mocks right-wing evangelicals or extreme Christians. This is exemplified in the character of Hwan Yoon, played by John Cho (Star Trek and Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) who is giving a gonzo performance. Hwan is considered a bit of a villain, but Latif is revealed to be problematic in perhaps similar ways to Hwan. He's not as much a villain as he is a foil.
Regardless of these men of two faiths being at odds, the film is about the power of prayer. Blade is about a supernatural being and one might think this film wouldn't have any supernatural aspects. However, Latif becomes a bit of a supernatural being at one point. It's connected to prayer, but it diverges from Blade in that the overwhelming theme here is about fatherhood, and one having faith in one's male parent. One has to believe in him, which might be surprising given this film's title, but this film is about one believing in this ultimate theme of returning home to a loved one.
Rated R for violence, bloody images, language, and some sexual content.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 52 mins.
In theaters.
