What’s most refreshing about ‘A Thousand and One’, the brand-new drama written and directed by A.V. Rockwell, is that it’s a throwback to classic adult-focused dramas that don’t talk down to their audiences, nor have any air of pretention about them. Rockwell has crafted an absorbing and highly emotive story that grabs you from the first frame to the last, delivering a sweeping story that focuses on some tough, unflinching realities of inner-city life for those who find themselves up against a stacked system that doesn’t protect them, and who are left building an existence from nothing.
Inez de la Paz (Teyana Taylor) is a young mother who decides to take her 6-year-old son Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola) out of his temporary foster care without permission to raise him herself. Taking refuge with friends and obtaining some fake ID documents to throw off the authorities from tracking her down, she manages to start afresh, grafting and struggling to make a better life for her son. Inez rekindles her relationship with her boyfriend Lucky (Will Catlett) when he’s released from prison. We follow their story through to a now 17-year-old Terry (Josiah Cross) who is on the verge of applying for college, and how life’s struggles constantly try and keep them down.
Featuring a powerhouse leading performance from Teyana Taylor, ‘A Thousand and One’ does a great job in totally immersing you into this family drama, and it’s Taylor’s strength and sheer screen presence that gets you there so quickly. Full of emotion and repressed angst, Taylor fully fleshes out the character of Inez to make her relatable, compassionate, and flawed in equal measure – painting a fascinating portrayal of a strong woman struggling to find a better life for her and her family. Taylor is a big talent to keep an eye out for in the future.
The supporting cast are also very good. 6-year-old Terry is played by Aaron Kingsley Adetola, who does a remarkable job in setting the tone for the whole film. We don’t get to spend a lot of screentime with 13-year-old Terry, played by Aven Courtney, but he arguably handles some of the film’s finest moments, especially with his father Lucky, played brilliantly by Will Catlett. Catlett also shares a palpable chemistry with Teyana Taylor, with the two delivering some very powerful and heartfelt scenes together. Rounding off the supporting cast is Josiah Cross as 17-year-old Terry who delivers a lot of drama and emotional investment in the film’s final third. It’s a strong, memorable performance. Special mention should also go to Terri Abney as Inez’s childhood friend Kim who helps her out.
As mentioned earlier, it’s so good to see a proper adult-oriented story that isn’t afraid to just be itself. In an era of streaming services where proper, character-based human-interest stories are deemed unimportant, whilst algothryms dictate and control what is made accessible to larger audiences, ‘A Thousand and One’ is a prime example of how movies used to be made. These days, multiplexes are inundated with superhero movies and broad mainstream studio fare. The window of opportunity for indie dramas like this is increasingly small. So it’s an important film for more than just the sum of its parts – it’s a statement of intent that people want (and need) to see things like ‘A Thousand and One’ to get a broader scope of the world of cinema.
The balance of fairness and the inequity of everyday life for minorities faced with tremendous hardships every day, ‘A Thousand and One’ paints a stark and sobering account of these struggles along with a relatable and emotionally charged family drama that truly strikes a chord. It also features a very surprising narrative choice towards the end of the film which I genuinely didn’t see coming – and that’s a rarity. With strong performances across the board, ‘A Thousand and One’ is a fascinating study and an effective period drama, that faithfully recreates the mid 90s and early 00s to good effect. But ultimately, it’s a story about family, and how the world is stacked against us. Breaking through that to find some inner sanctum proves impossible for some no matter how hard you try, but this film shows that even with those deflating odds, the power of family is still a pursuit worth chasing.
Cast: Teyana Taylor, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Terri Abney Director: A.V. Rockwell Writer: A.V. Rockwell Certificate: 15 Duration: 117 mins Released by: Universal Release date: 21st April 2023
