Way back in January, we got the chance to see Carlos Lopez Estrada’s Blindspotting at Sundance, and we really liked it.
It had been anointed by press prior to our screening as one of the best opening night films the festival had ever seen, and we’re not going to disagree with that, mainly because we’d never been to the festival before, and that would be weird of us to assume. A tale about two Oakland natives (Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal) kicking against the pricks of gentrification and their neighborhood changing, Blindspotting had its first trailer drop on Thursday, and we couldn’t be happier to share it with you.
Check it out:
We can’t stress this enough: Even though it sort of falls apart in the last minutes, Estrada’s made a really exhilarating film, one that a lot of people are going to connect with on a deep level. It’s a little stymied by the fact that the trailer just doesn’t show how uproariously funny it is (Diggs has described it as a “comedy in a world that won’t let it be one,” which is about as real as it gets). The two leads, as well, give fantastic performances, and it has one of the funniest sequences of any movie we’ve seen this year in the middle of it. The Sundance buzz was deserved here, and we think Estrada will have a long and fascinating career if there’s any justice in the world.
If you’re local to Boston, Blindspotting will be playing at this year’s IFFBoston on Sunday, April 29 as the centerpiece narrative spotlight film at the Somerville Theatre, and Diggs and Casal will be on-hand for a Q&A after the screening. You really, really shouldn’t miss it, especially with those two in attendance.
For everybody else, Blindspotting hits theaters on July 20.
Image via Lionsgate.