Blindspotting
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCarlos López Estrada
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRobby Baumgartner
Edited byGabriel Fleming
Music byMichael Yezerski
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release dates
  • January 18, 2018 (2018-01-18) (Sundance)
  • July 20, 2018 (2018-07-20) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$5 million[1]

Blindspotting is a 2018 American comedy-drama film written by, produced by and starring Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal.[2] Carlos López Estrada directs while Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Ethan Embry, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Wayne Knight also star. The plot follows a parolee with three days left on his sentence, only to have him witness a police shooting that threatens to ruin a lifelong friendship.[3]

Casal and Diggs, childhood friends in real life, wrote the screenplay in the mid-2000s, initially to speak for the city of Oakland, which they felt was often misrepresented in film. After years of delays, the pair's schedules finally allowed them to make the film, with principal photography beginning in June 2017.

Blindspotting had its world premiere on January 18, 2018 in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and was released in the United States on July 20, 2018, by Lionsgate.[4] The film received positive reviews from critics, and at the 34th Independent Spirit Awards, was nominated for Best Male Lead for Diggs' performance, while López Estrada earned a Directors Guild of America Award nomination for Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film.[5]

A spin-off sequel television series of same name, created and executive produced by Diggs and Casal and run by Casal, premiered in 2021. It focuses on Jones' character, Ashley, with Casal also part of the main cast and Diggs appearing as guest.

Plot

Collin Hoskins, an African-American convicted felon, is struggling to finish the last three days of his probation. Collin, along with his short-tempered white best friend, Miles Turner, works for a moving company located in Oakland, California. One night while waiting for a red light, Collin witnesses a white police officer fatally shoot a fleeing black man. As Collin is haunted by the incident, he begins to have nightmares and experiences hallucinations.

At the same time, Miles becomes distraught by the gentrification of Oakland and a resulting sense of loss of identity, home, and belonging. Miles purchases a handgun from a friend on the basis of self-protection, an action of which Collin strongly disapproves. Collin tries to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend Val; there is an awkward distance between them despite their feelings for each other. A witness recounts the fight which led to Collin's incarceration: Collin was working door at a local club when a drunk white customer stepped outside to show off a flaming drink. Collin informed him that this violated state liquor laws but the man verbally abused and shoved Collin, starting a fight which ended with the man beaten and set aflame; Val shockingly witnessed the end of this scene.

As Miles continues to display erratic behavior, Val warns Collin of the dangers that may result from a continued friendship with Miles. On Collin's last evening of probation, Miles's young son Sean finds the gun and Collin narrowly averts a tragic accident. Horrified, Sean's mother Ashley forces Miles and Collin to take the gun and leave.

Miles and Collin go to a party at an upscale new house owned by an enthusiastic newcomer to Oakland. The "shoot a hipster" T-shirt that Sean gave Miles is misinterpreted as being an ironic self-effacing statement, and the only other African-American man at the party takes issue with Miles's persona, misinterpreting it as cultural appropriation. They get into a physical fight and Miles takes out his frustrations, beating the man. Ordered to leave, Miles terrorizes the host and his guests by firing his gun into the air while proclaiming his authenticity to the neighbourhood.

Collin rushes Miles away before the police arrive and takes his gun. In an explosive argument, Collin criticizes Miles for his reckless behavior and the trouble it keeps causing him. Miles returns home and reconciles with Ashley while she treats his injuries, and he realizes that he doesn't face the same struggles as his loved ones. Collin phones Val and, referencing the face–vase illusion from her college studies, asks if she has a blind spot with him and whether she can see past her recollection of the fight.

With his probation completed, Collin continues to feel psychologically troubled by the police shooting he witnessed. As he and Miles are finishing a moving job, the house is revealed to be that of Officer Molina, the police officer Collin witnessed killing a man. Collin holds the officer at gunpoint, and Miles watches as Collin launches into a freestyle rap, criticizing the relationship between the police and African Americans, as well as the gentrification in Oakland. He breaks some of the officer's property, but does not shoot the gun, leaving the distraught officer behind. Following a moment of solemnity, Collin and Miles repair their friendship as they drive to their next job.

Cast

Production

Background

The screenplay for Blindspotting was written by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs over a period of nine years. Daveed, who grew up in Oakland, and Rafael, who grew up in bordering Berkeley, California, felt that cinematic portrayals of the San Francisco Bay Area have constantly "missed something". They wanted to draw attention to the culture, community, and sense of "heightened reality" that shape life in Oakland. The film addresses issues of gentrification, police violence, and racism.[6]

Filming

Principal photography finally began in June 2017 and lasted for 22 days, filming around Oakland.[7] Diggs hired John Mader, drummer for Hamilton, to play drums on the film score.[8]

Release

Blindspotting premiered at Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2018, and was limited released in the United States on July 20, 2018, with a nationwide release date of July 27, 2018.[9]

Reception

Box office

Blindspotting grossed $332,500 in its opening weekend from 14 locations, including in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Oakland, for a $23,750 average per theater.[10] It expanded to 513 theaters in its second weekend and made $1.3 million.[11]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 176 reviews, and an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "As timely as it is overall impactful, Blindspotting blends buddy comedy with seething social commentary, and rises on the strength of Daveed Diggs' powerful performance."[12] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]

Former United States President Barack Obama named Blindspotting among his favorite films of 2018, in his annual list of favorite films.[14]

Television adaptation

In September 2020, Starz ordered a TV spinoff of Blindspotting, with Jasmine Cephas Jones set to reprise her role as Ashley. Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal act as writers and executive producers on the series, with Casal to serve as showrunner. The pair each also reprise their roles in the premiere episode. The series will focus on Ashley's point of view when Miles is imprisoned.[15] Production began in December 2020.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Blindspotting (2018)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  2. ↑ Debruge, Peter (January 3, 2018). "10 Directors to Watch: Carlos López Estrada Opens Eyes With Sundance-Bound 'Blindspotting'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  3. ↑ Harris, Aisha (July 20, 2018). "Fictional Police Brutality, Real Emotional Toll". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Debruge, Peter (November 29, 2017). "Sundance Film Festival Unveils Full 2018 Features Lineup". Variety. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  5. ↑ Erbland, Kate (November 16, 2018). "2019 Independent Spirit Awards Nominees, 'Eighth Grade' & 'We the Animals' Lead". IndieWire. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  6. ↑ Los Angeles Times (January 19, 2018). "Sundance 2018: Blindspotting cast talk about their love of Oakland". YouTube. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  7. ↑ Brooks, Brian (July 19, 2018). "Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal Go 'Blindspotting'; Bleecker Street Opens 'McQueen' – Specialty B.O. Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  8. ↑ Newman, Melinda (July 30, 2018). "Blindspotting's' Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal on Finding the Movie's Authentic Bay Area Sound". Billboard.
  9. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 19, 2018). "Lionsgate's Sundance Pickup 'Blindspotting' Moves Up Into July – Watch The Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  10. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 22, 2018). "Shocker: 'Mamma Mia 2' Meets B.O. Waterloo As 'Equalizer 2' Is The No. 1 Winner That Takes It All With $35M+". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  11. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 29, 2018). "'Mission' Accomplished: 'Fallout' $61M+ Opening Reps Record For Tom Cruise Franchise – Sunday". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Blindspotting (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Blindspotting Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  14. ↑ Sharf, Zack (December 28, 2018). "Barack Obama's Favorite Movies of 2018 List Is Here, and It's Pretty Damn Amazing". Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  15. ↑ White, Peter (September 10, 2020). "'Blindspotting': TV Spin-Off Of Rafael Casal & Daveed Diggs Feature Goes To Series At Starz". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  16. ↑ Otterson, Joe (December 1, 2020). "'Blindspotting' Series at Starz Casts Key Roles as Production Begins (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
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