'Blue Story' Film Review: Gang Warfare Gets Shakespearean in British Urban Drama

After many false starts, we are now in the thick of a fascinating black film movement, which has not only boosted legendary filmmakers like Spike Lee but also carved spaces for newer storytellers like Dee Rees and Barry Jenkins to bring forth stories that are personal to them but can also touch wide audiences. Such is also the case for British writer-director Andrew Onwubolu, aka Rapman, who has delivered a portrait of his youth in a street-gang-riddled London with the singular drama “Blue Story,” which is available digitally on May 5.

But is “Blue Story” too outside the box to connect with audiences? The short answer is not really. We’re saturated with so much content these days that a narrative needs to stand out in order to get recognized above the fray. There’s also an abundance of black films with villainous gangs (“Boyz n the Hood” and the upcoming “Charm City Kings,” to name two), so the question “Blue Story” has to answer is how to make it different. Onwubolu’s response is to add rap, as he interrupts his narrative intermittently to offer a rap narration of what just transpired and why it matters.

But while that choice utilizes Onwubolu’s natural skill as a popular lyricist who got his start on YouTube, his carefully curated interludes take away from the flow of the otherwise compelling, Shakespearean tragedy that is elevated by two solid performances. When we meet Timmy (Stephen Odubola) and Marco (Micheal Ward) at the top of the film, they are the very best of friends who attend high school together in Peckham, a neighborhood in South London.

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They riff off each other, talk about girls together, and have each other’s backs — unequivocally. Marco even brags to their other friends, “I love this boy so much,” as he pulls him in for a big bear hug.

There’s one major problem, though: Timmy and Marco are from two different neighborhoods run by dueling gangs. Marco’s brother, Switcher (Eric Kofi-Abrefa), oversees his area, while Timmy’s primary friends are now deeply embedded in a rival gang. For a while, that information is a foreboding shadow as Onwubolu takes time to establish the innocence and youth of these two boys. Timmy has a crush on a girl named Leah (Karla-Simone Spence) and, of course, Marco and their other pals tease him about how he clams up in front of her. They all go to a party held by a fellow student whose parents are conveniently out of town. You know, typical teenage shenanigans.

Things start to shift when Marco gets jumped by some of the gang members Timmy knows. For the first time ever, Marco turns his back on his longtime friend. The sudden switch in tone and demeanor is brought into razor-sharp focus by editor Mdhamiri Á Nkemi, and it immediately feels like a light goes out between the two. What happens is palpable enough that it doesn’t need Onwubolu’s rap explaining why the severing of this relationship is so significant, especially as we watch Marco threaten Timmy and eventually Leah in the park in front of all their peers.

The rap, as novel as it is, is just not necessary. Further, it shows a lack of confidence in the audience to discern the relevance of the plot on their own.

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But by the time Timmy and Marco’s relationship evaporates and swirls into a violent beef where both gangs are involved, blood is drawn and lives are lost, you’re so invested that Onwubolu’s raps, while still a nuisance, are easier to ignore. The film’s “Julius Caesar”-inspired climax far supersedes the bonds of friendship. No one is safe; not families and certainly not allies.

While Onwubolu updates a classic story of revenge and gang violence, bringing special attention to black young in South London, he also details the struggles of the socioeconomic system and how it particularly impacts black families in the area. Early in the film, we are introduced to Marco’s mother (Jo Martin), who works long hours so that she can relocate her family to a district that has a better school. She wants to set up Marco for university, without understanding that the new neighborhood is rife with street violence. And her virtual absence from home means Switcher is free to run the streets unchecked.

There’s a sense of inevitability, at a time when young boys are struggling to learn what it means to be men, that is crushing to watch. It’s a life that Onwubolu knows intimately, and it will undoubtedly hit home for some audiences.

“Blue Story” doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to films about turf wars, but its personal, humanizing themes about friendship, love, youth, and black masculinity keeps you riveted, Onwubolu’s lyrical respites aside.

Celebrities Who Have Died From the Coronavirus (Photos)

The world continues to be upended by the coronavirus pandemic, with more people contracting COVID-19 as the days pass. While many have recovered, some have died from complications of the illness. These are the names of some notable figures from Hollywood and the media that we have lost.
Terrence McNally, a four-time Tony Award-winning playwright, died on March 24 at the age of 81 of complications from the coronavirus. His works included "Master Class," "Love! Valour! Compassion!" and "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune," which later became a film with Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino.
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Italian actress Lucia Bosè, who starred in such films as Michelangelo Antonioni’s "Story of a Love Affair" (1950) and Juan Antonio Bardem’s "Death of a Cyclist" (1955), died on March 23 of pneumonia after contracting COVID-19, according to the Guardian. She was 89.
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Chef Floyd Cardoz, winner of "Top Chef Masters" Season 3, died at the age of 59 of coronavirus complications on March 25.
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Mark Blum, who starred in "Desperately Seeking Susan," "Crocodile Dundee" and the Lifetime/Netflix series "You," died on March 26 of coronavirus complications. The veteran character actor and regular on New York City stages was 69.
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Maria Mercader, a CBS News veteran who worked for over 30 years as a reporter and talent director, died March 29 after testing positive for coronavirus. She was 54.
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Grammy-winning country music singer Joe Diffie died March 29 due to complications from the coronavirus. He announced his diagnosis just two days prior.
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American rock musician Alan Merrill, best known for co-writing and recording the original version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," died March 29 of complications from the coronavirus. He was 69.
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Popular Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, whose career spanned decades, died March 29 due to complications from the coronavirus. He was 70.
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Andrew Jack, a dialect coach who most recently was hired to work with Robert Pattinson on the new Batman movie, died March 31 of complications from coronavirus, TMZ reports. He also appeared in "Star Wars: Episode VII" as a member of Leia's resistance. Jack was 76.
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Adam Schlesinger, Fountains of Wayne singer and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" contribute, died at the age of 52 from coronavirus complications on April 1.
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Ellis Marsalis Jr., New Orleans jazz legend and father of Wynton and Branford Marsalis, died at 85 from COVID-19 complications, Branford said. "Ellis Marsalis was a legend. He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz... He was a teacher, a father, and an icon — and words aren’t sufficient to describe the art, the joy and the wonder he showed the world," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said also.
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Eddie Large, one-half of the comedy duo Little and Large, died April 2 after contracting coronavirus while hospitalized for heart failure. He was 78.
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Sergio Rossi, the Italian shoe designer, died at age 84 after being hospitalized with the virus, the brand confirmed in an Instagram post Friday.
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Patricia Bosworth, a stage and screen actress turned journalist who penned celebrity biographies, died April 2 from complications of the coronavirus. She was 86.
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Tom Dempsey, New Orleans Saints legendary kicker who was born without toes on his right foot and wore a flat shoe that he kicked with, died on April 4 from complications of COVID-19.
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John Prine, one of the most influential and revered folk and country songwriters of the last 50 years, died on April 6 at the age of 73 after being infected with the COVID-19 virus.
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Allen Garfield, who appeared in such films as “The Conversation,” “Nashville” and “Irreconcilable Differences,” died April 7 due to coronavirus complications, according to his sister. He was 80.
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Charles Gregory, an Emmy-nominated hairstylist who frequently collaborated with Tyler Perry on his films and TV shows, died of complications from COVID-19 on April 8.
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Hilary Heath, an actress and producer who starred opposite Vincent Price in horror movies in the late 1960s and early '70s, died in April of COVID-19 complications. She was 74.
American International Pictures
Rick May, a voice actor best known to gamers as the husky-throated Soldier in Team Fortress 2, died in Swedish nursing home on April 13 after contracting COVID-19. He was 79.
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Allen Daviau, a 5-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer, died April 15 at age 77. He frequently collaborated with Steven Spielberg, and worked on such films as "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and "The Color Purple"
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Henry Grimes, celebrated jazz bassist, died on April 15 at age 84, according to WGBO. He worked with such legends as Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins.
"Knight Rider" and "Magnum P.I." producer Joel Rogosin died of coronavirus at the MPTF nursing home. He became the fifth person to die from COVID-19 complications at the facility.
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Rapper Fred the Godson died after contracting coronavirus, a representative confirmed to Complex. He wrote on social media of his diagnosis on April 6, but he did not recover.
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Art director Matteo De Cosmo, who worked on films including "Emergence," "The Punisher" and "Luke Cage," died of coronavirus complications. He was 52.
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Roy Horn, best known as half of the legendary Siegfried & Roy magic and animal act in Las Vegas, died on May 8 from complications due to coronavirus.
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Legendary Auburn football coach Pat Dye died on June 1 after combating COVID-19 and other medical conditions. He was 80.
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Chris Trousdale, a member of the boy band Dream Street, died of coronavirus complications on June 2. He was 34.
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Broadway star Nick Cordero passed away on July 5 due to complications from coronavirus. He was 41.
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Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza who sought the Republican nomination for president in 2012, died July 30 from complications of the coronavirus. He was 74. He was hospitalized in Atlanta just days after attending a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was seen without a mask.
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Trini Lopez, the singer of "If I Had a Hammer" and an actor in "The Dirty Dozen," died on Aug. 11 from COVID-19. He was 83.
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Tom Seaver, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher, died on Aug. 31 in his sleep of complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.
Harold Budd, ambient musician and composer for several Hollywood films, died from complications of the coronavirus, his manager said Dec. 8. The Brian Eno and Cocteau Twins collaborator was 84 years old.
Carol Sutton, actress who has starred on HBO’s “Lovecraft County” and OWN’s “Queen Sugar" and appeared in such films as "Monster's Ball," "Ray" and "The Help," died of complications of COVID-19 on Dec. 10. She was 76.
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Charley Pride, one of the first Black performers to break through in the country music scene, died of complications from COVID-19 on Dec. 12, just weeks after his final performance at the CMA Awards show back in November. He was 86.
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Grammy-winning country singer K.T. Oslin, died Dec. 21. Although her cause of death was not immediately known, a friend told the Associated Press that she had been diagnosed with COVID-19. She was 78.
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Linda Torres, known as Angela Raiola's friend on VH1's reality series "Big Ang" and "Mob Wives," died of COVID-19 on April 1, 2021, following breast cancer surgery. She was 67.
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Alvin Ing, star of Broadway's "Flower Drum Song" and "Pacific Overture" died July 31, 2021 after battling COVID-19 for two weeks. The fierce advocate for the AAPI community was 89.
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Sonny Chiba, a martial arts master and a Japanese actor who played legendary sword maker Hattori Hanzo in “Kill Bill,” has died from pneumonia caused by COVID-19. He was 82.
Phil Valentine, Right-wing radio host, died after more than a month-long battle with COVID. He was 61 years old.
Colin Powell, a former top military officer who rose to become the first Black Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, died on October 18, 2021 at age 84 of complications from COVID.
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Colin Powell is the latest notable person to die from complications of the illness

The world continues to be upended by the coronavirus pandemic, with more people contracting COVID-19 as the days pass. While many have recovered, some have died from complications of the illness. These are the names of some notable figures from Hollywood and the media that we have lost.

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Celebrities Who Have Died From the Coronavirus (Photos)

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