What’s it rated? R
When? 2016
Where’s it showing? Netflix
If you’re still not ready to make your way back to the theater, you may want to revisit one of recently deceased Chadwick Boseman’s lesser-known films, Message from the King, about a South African man named Jacob King, who travels to Los Angeles to search for his missing younger sister. Directed by Fabrice du Welz (Alleluia), this gritty action crime film finds our fish-out-of-water protagonist entering a dark criminal underworld.
As King searches for his sister, he gets a few of her remaining possessions from a neighbor who held them in case she returned. A few photos, a business card, a book of matches—it’s not much to work with, but we quickly discover King is a determined and capable—but not indestructible—man.
Boseman is terrific here, and the story has the good sense to make him human, not superhuman. There are some hard-hitting action sequences, and Alfred Molina is at his slimiest as a rich reprobate. Luke Evans is a venal, double-crossing dentist, and Teresa Palmer is a single mother sex worker in an impossible situation. Great cast, gripping story, and a reminder of what an amazing talent Boseman was before his untimely death at 43. (102 min.) Δ
This article appears in Winning Images 2020.