I sat in the movie theater, clenching onto my bag of Popcorners, silent and tense as I sat on the edge of my seat, wondering if the couple who began the world's most awkward tinder date was going to make it out of this situation alive. To paint a more detailed picture, the couple, played by Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Widows) and Jodie Turner Smith, were 'Queen and Slim'- a black couple on the run a fatal encounter with a racist cop. We often hear stories of white cops shooting and killing black civilians, often unarmed, and often out of racial bias. But to have this situation turned upside down, to have the power back into the hands of those who are usually the victims, is a bold twist that this movie explores better than I ever expected it to.

I'm not going to lie- I could tell how this movie would end after watching the full trailer. Not going to spoil it for those who still want to see it, but this isn't the type of film that even if you do know the ending its ruined for you- the magic is how the story unfolds. You see this odd couple- Slim, a religious retail worker and Queen, a pragmatic criminal defense lawyer, not as stereotypes of their race and gender identity, not complete antithesis of these identities- but as human beings, trying to survive after a traumatic event. One of my favorite lines in the film was when the two, fresh on the run, stop to get a bite to eat. While eating, Queen mentions something about "black excellence-" the idea that in order for black people to be seen as equal or greater than in society, they have to strive above and beyond the white heteronomative standard. Although true for the most part, Slim says "Why do black people always feel that gotta be excellent? Why can't we be regular people?" Lines such as this really challenged stereotypes, positive and negative- about being black in america.

And speaking of gender dynamics, I loved how Queen's character unfolded in the film. She was your typical defense attorney at first- bold, outspoken, cold and thought on her feet and pragmatically. Usually in high strung emotional situations, women are portrayed as emotional and irrational but Queen was the one who tried to keep Slim calm. There's also the stereotype that black women have to always be the "strong ones", and this could be overdone, painting them as angry every time they express their feelings. But as the movie progresses, you see a different side of Queen, a softer side that accompanies her drastic change in appearance from long braids, to a short natural look and a mini dress with boots. Her agency is not lost, however she lets Slim into her life and into herself little by little. I loved the monologue of how Queen wishes to be loved, scars and all; it is the way i'm sure most black women feel about love. Black women have been portrayed poorly on both ends of the spectrum- as "hypersexual Jezebels" or "asexual mamies." But this movie dispels both of those in bold and cinematically striking way. Slim too, detracts from the notion of hyper masculinity in black men. He is clearly shaken by the killing of the cop, and doesn't try to hide how scared he is, from pacing around to being on the verge of tears. Yet this does not emasculate him in anyway. It reminds me of the portrayal of Chrion in Moonlight- who isn't just "gay" or a "black man"- but a human being who happens to be both of these identities.

Overall, there's a plethora of things Queen and Slim get right, which makes it one of the best underrated films of the year. And with a female director and screenwriter as the driving creative forces of the film, it has definitely left its own legacy.