A Slamdance 2020 Best Narrative Feature winner that felt like an arthouse, docu-fiction approach to Boyz In The Hood, Residue gives a creative jolt to indie films. Residue is a melodrama made thrilling by suspense, made aesthetically pleasing by beautiful and poignant cinematography, made relevant by its socio-economic subject matter, and grounded by an existential search into a character’s formative years. It is impressive because it feels mature though it is the feature film debut of writer/director Merawi Gerima, and also, boasts brilliant cast members who are also first-timers and delivered truly moving performances.

There is something to be said about Merawi Gerima’s artistic filmmaking. When at first it seemed as though Residue would be an indulgent self-portrait, a compelling story and gut-wrenching visuals stepped in to ensure that this little indie felt like a saga. The way the film is crafted makes for an interesting watch, as eventually, I caught on that Residue is a bit of a film within — the film follows a guy setting out to make a film about his childhood. Gerima cleverly played with chronology by seamlessly melding segues into childhood memories with blocking during Jay’s current life.

The premise of Residue is that a young man named Jay (Obinna Nwachukwu) returns to his old D.C. neighborhood having moved to California 15 years ago. Seeking to reconnect with his past to find material for a potential film project, instead of familiarity Jay instead finds that his street has slowly become gentrified. Jay is relieved to find some of his old childhood friends are still around, though his childhood best friend Demetrius seems to have vanished. As people either don’t know or don’t want to say Demetrius’ whereabouts and his new neighbors just ain’t what they used to be, Jay begins to feel like an outsider in his own home.

Residue is soft-spoken yet powerful, reminiscent of Moonlight which similarly dug a deep pit of dread in my stomach, put there by the structure of a story that hurtles through time from a character’s childhood innocence to the impending doom of disillusioned adulthood. Though the content was uncomfortable at times, heart-wrenching even, the way this film brings together artful storytelling with meaningful content is wonderful. Films like Residue are necessary and so relevant, as they broach today’s social tensions with earnest intention to communicate their experience through art.

It could be thought of like a modern-day retelling of the “prodigal son” fable, and Jay’s horror is the realization that everything changes, even he has somehow unknowingly changed since his friends don’t recognize him anymore. It gives an uncanny feeling to the story, on top of the already morose atmosphere that underlied the film as some characters struggle with change and others struggle with stagnation. If this film is an indication of the kinds of stories and the caliber of storytelling that Merawi Gerima is capable of, this director is certainly one to watch.

MOVIE RATING — 7.5 out of 10 ☠️

 

Residue
RATING: UR
Runtime: 1 hr 30 Mins.
Directed By:

Merawi Gerima

Written By:

Merawi Gerima

About the Author

Adrienne Reese is a fan of movies - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and came to the horror genre by way of getting over her fear of... everything. Adrienne also writes for the Frida Cinema, and in addition to film enjoys cooking, Minesweeper, and binge-watching Game of Thrones.