Five Years Later: Remembering Queen and Slim
By: Deion Higgins
Five years have passed since Lena Waithe's highly anticipated movie, Queen & Slim, was released. Eager to support a black film, I anticipated a narrative of black survival, prepared for my emotions to be stirred. Cinematically, Queen and Slim stands out as one of the best black films I've seen in years. The soft tone and the beautiful, dark, rich skin were everything you'd want in a black-led film, featuring protagonists with dark skin. I watched as Queen and Slim embarked on their first date, engaged in cute banter at a black-owned dinner, discussing John Coltrane's In a Sentimental Mood in the car, and having passionate arguments over the phone. The interaction with the police, as hinted in the trailer, set the stage for what we expected, but it was the unexpected turn that shifted this movie from beautiful to turmoil.
The actions taken by Queen and Slim after they killed a racist cop, responsible for the deaths of two other black people that year, were questionable and, even for a movie, unrealistic. What we thought would be a beautiful rom-com gone wrong turned into a complete mess. Nevertheless, the film leaves a lasting imprint on the minds of BIPOC movie lovers. The way Queen and Slim loved each other through the trauma was powerful. Lines like "I'm never letting your hand go" or "If I could kiss all of your scars to let you know that you are loved I would" added depth. Did it have to be another trauma movie? I would have preferred a black version of The Vow if anything.
In all honesty, I found the movie amazing; however, I remain an emotional mess. While I understand these are fictional characters, the ending felt like reliving a George Floyd video. My stomach formed knots, and my body mourned as if someone I knew had died. Movies are for escaping reality, and even in this case, we don't need an exact replica of reality. We wanted Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) and Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) to make it, to witness the impossible happen. Unfortunately, we didn't get that.
Why couldn't they hold on to their lives? Did we need to see the bullets enter their bodies? Is there a better way to employ our death, or just not have us die altogether? Are we not worthy of life in our own fictional stories? Today, five years later, we remember what could have been. To Queen and Slim.
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Meet Deion Higginbotham, media correspondent for 247 Live Culture!