Emperor

There’s nothing wrong with epics, per se, but every movie about the slave experience doesn’t have to be a 145-minute Oscar hunter. There’s plenty of other stories, and storytelling conventions, and it’s nice to see Hollywood starting to diversify artistically in its effort to be culturally diverse. “Emperor” (2020) is an action movie set in the pre-Civil War South about a slave, Shields Green, fleeing a murder rap. Dayo Okeniyi plays Green. From the beginning scenes on the plantation to the climax at Harper’s Ferry, the story is tight and compelling. Who cares whether it’s “based on a true story?”

Don’t Let Go

Boy, those 5G phones really are strong. If you try to explain it, the concept of time travel as a cinematic device is pretty preposterous. It’s like a magic eraser that lets the screenwriter fix any plot problems, because, you know, time travel. And yet, when done properly, it cashes in your willing suspension of disbelief and pays you back tenfold. “Don’t Let Go” (2019) asks you to believe that the magic of cellular technology can allow a cop (David Oyelowo) and his niece to try to solve two murders, two weeks apart. It works. Just promise to stay connected.