Da 5 Bloods - Movie Review

Rating: 9/10 (14 June 2020)

I hadn't seen any of Spike Lee's films until BlackkKlansman came out in 2018, and I really enjoyed that film. I was excited for Da 5 Bloods just based on the synopsis alone, and it didn't disappoint.
I usually talk about my positives first, but I have one negative and I want to get it out of the way upfront. The first half is way too long, and it contains a lot of filler which didn't need to be there. Nothing was bad, but a lot of it was unnecessary and it ruined the pacing. Thankfully, it really picks up in the second half and this issue was no longer present.
The acting is truly exceptional across the board. I wasn't too familiar with any of the actors, apart from Chadwick Boseman, but they all did a fantastic job. The characters were extremely layered, and it was nice exploring how past torments were still haunting them to this day.
The screenplay on the whole was wonderful, and Lee did a great job in the director's chair. I was never bored, and the narrative was constantly compelling. The musical score added to the tone in a fitting way, and the sound design was also something special.
Da 5 Bloods contains a lot of powerful messages, some of which are more relevant today than ever before. The interactions between the group were complex and often humorous, but it always remained realistic and I quickly grew to care for them and sympathise with what they had been through in the past. There were a lot of surprises throughout the film, and it all built to a gripping and emotional finalÃ©.
If the film had been trimmed down in the first half, I might be describing Da 5 Bloods as 2020's first masterpiece. It doesn't quite get there, but it's still an extremely high recommendation.
SCORE: 86%