Respond to these rapid questions in our Gully Boy quiz and we will tell you which Gully Boy character you are. Play it now.
Unsure of what story it is telling, Nabil Elderkin’s “Gully” is only held together by the sheer talent of the young actors who play the lead roles. Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Luce”), Charlie Plummer (“Lean on Pete”), and Jacob Latimore (“Sleight”) are three of the most intriguing performers of their generation. Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Luce”), Charlie Plummer (“Lean on Pete”), and Jacob Latimore (“Sleight”). “Gully” has a strong supporting cast, which includes the legendary Jonathan Majors (“The Last Black Man in San Francisco”), as well as established actors Terrence Howard, John Corbett, and Amber Heard, and it appears that the film should at the very least be entertaining. It’s only barely there. It wasn’t until about 50 minutes into the film that I realized I had been waiting for the movie to really get going and had realized that it was unlikely to happen. In the service of a story that wallows in its trauma in a way that serves little purpose, it’s a film filled with half-hearted ideas and cardboard characters. In a sense, it is about cycles of violence that ultimately lead to inevitable tragedy, but it lacks the necessary momentum to make that feel interesting or original, aside from the hope that these talented young people will create something better.
With an overwritten voiceover that constantly pulls away from any attempts at realism, Jesse (Harrison) tells the story of “Gully.” (Why Jesse is narrating a story he only knows parts of is a question that writer Marcus J. Guillory is unlikely to have asked, but it is only one indication that the script isn’t quite holding together.) A young man named Jesse shares his story of trauma and abuse, as well as how it intersects with the stories of his two friends Calvin (Latimore) and Nicky (Latimore) (Plummer). Almost as if Guillory and Elderkin are creating a modern-day adaptation of the classic novel “A Clockwork Orange,” they are asking what happens when young men who have been raised in brutal environments end up unleashing that pent-up brutality on everyone around them through a wave of violence triggered by recent revelations.
At first glance, “Gully” appears to be pointing a finger at the culture of video games in general. As the men set out on their rampage, Elderkin displays video game images from games such as “Grand Theft Auto V,” indicating on screen how many pills the men have just jacked and how they have now advanced to a new “rank.” This concept, like so many other elements in “Gully,” is underdeveloped thematically and then only marginally utilized. “Gully” develops into a story about acts of violence that are unconnected to one another. They follow a couple after they are involved in a road rage incident and terrorize them at their residence. Tourists are being robbed. They exact vengeance on a person who has been abusing Jesse for a long time. Nothing adds up to much in the end. None of it carries any significance. Isn’t that the whole point? Is it possible that these violent lives continue to breed violence? There is far too much of “Gully” that is either disjointed or overwritten. In many ways, it’s a film that either underlines its themes—particularly through the character of a “wise homeless man” played by Howard—or is completely unable to figure out what it’s trying to say at all.
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Unfortunately, “Gully” is also visually underwhelming, which is especially disappointing given Elderkin’s previous experience in music videos. Since then, he’s established himself as one of the most impressive directors in the business, having directed such songs as “Grenade” by Bruno Mars, “Pyramids” by Frank Ocean, “All of Me” by John Legend, “Two Weeks” by FKA Twigs, “DNA” by Kendrick Lamar, and countless others. He’s also directed videos for SZA, Travis Scott (who helped produce and appears briefly in “Gully”), Vince Sta With a history of working with the same artists on multiple occasions, his videos have the kind of vision that melds art forms, translating and shaping music into a different craft than it was originally intended. None of Elderkin’s self-assurance comes through in “Gully,” which appears to have been cut up in post-production due to its lack of the fluidity and craftsmanship that distinguishes Elderkin’s work. However, the track record of great music video directors who have made the transition to feature films is extensive, and I remain hopeful that Elderkin will be one of those directors who makes the transition to feature films.
Gully Boy Quiz
“Gully” is simply not going to happen in this case. Despite this, given the cast of future stars, one has the impression that this could be an interesting minor footnote in one or two major careers. Majors, Harrison, Plummer, and Latimore all have the potential to become household names, and I can’t wait to see what they do next in their respective careers. Everything that is remotely interesting about “Gully” stems from how hard these young actors work to bring richness and depth to a project that is constantly at a loss for what to do with their considerable abilities on screen.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Gully Boy quiz.
The film is currently playing in select theaters and will be available digitally and on demand on June 8.
For more personality quizzes check this: Arctic Dogs Quiz.
