Netflix has been on a roll all 2020 with their original exclusives. Movies like Da 5 Bloods, Fatal Affair, The Fair, The Old Guard and All Night and A Day have made an impact on the Black community with the way that the films relate to the culture. All of these movies have broken streaming records and feature prominent black actors and the newest addition to the list of original exclusives, Project Power, was no different.
Project Power is about Art, an ex soldier/ desperate father played by Jamie Foxx, who is willing to do anything to track down a powerful group responsible for exposing the city of New Orleans to Power, a drug that gives normal people extraordinary powers for 5 minutes. Art, who was used as a test subject in the government’s original studies with Power, tries to navigate the drug ridden streets as he tracks down his daughter. On his journey he meets Robin [Dominique Fishback], a Power dealing teen and aspiring rapper and her friend Frank, a cop friend played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Together they fight against Power wholesalers and rescue Arts daughter.
Though Project Power features Foxx as the primary star, there were more than a handful of scenes when Fishback stole the show. Though her description of ‘drug dealer’ was demeaning, she had pure intentions. Her mother was a single parent who was sick and did not have access to health insurance, so Robin chose the only path she knew that would guarantee her lots of money and fast so that she could help pay for her mother’s surgery. Frank, who occasionally takes Power to fight against other users while on the job, uses Robin as an informant during his investigation into where these drugs are coming from.
After his superior officer discovers what he has done he sends Frank to hunt down Art. While tracking Art’s movements he realizes that Robin and Art are working together and through tracking Robin he is able to take Art into police custody. Art then attempts to explain to Frank that he is being taken advantage of by his superior officers who were working in coalition with the company responsible for the drug and they are also holding Majors daughter
During the climax of the film Art and Frank agree to work together and they devise a plan to go straight to the source of the drug to end Power’s reign of the city once and for all. They, along with Robin, manage to defeat the organization responsible for kidnapping Art’s daughter and putting Power on the streets.
Project Power took us on a roller coaster of emotions as we see Art experience near death situations several times, however he never chose to give up and in the end he achieved his goal, rescuing his daughter. We also see Robin hatch from her shell, learn to believe in herself and conquer her fear of publicly rapping and sharing her gift. The film also shows how Frank becomes the hero that his city deserves and he makes a vow to expose the entire Power sting.
The film did a great job in telling us a story. We saw character development and a resolution. Over all we would give this film a 4 of 5 Power Fist.
-Sojourner Vision
