One of the reasons I love streaming services is they give someone who might not otherwise have a chance to make a studio film. Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, the writer/director of Black Box, is so unknown that he’s not even the most famous person with his own name (there’s a legendary Ghanan footballer nicknamed the General who owns that distinction). But that anonymity will hopefully dissolve away like the dark memories Osei-Kuffour conjures up with Black Box, one of the more original spins on films about memory in recent years.
Jumping streaming services, Mamoudou Athie plays Nolan, a man who was in a perfect marriage with a perfect wife and daughter, Ava (Amanda Christine). At least Nolan thought so. A horrific car crash took his wife from him, as well as his memories of his past, leaving Ava and Nolan’s brother Gary (Tosin Morohunfola) try to piece him back together. Gary, a doctor by trade, suggests to Nolan a pioneer in trauma and subconscious research, Lillian (Phylicia Rashad), whom might help Nolan uncover his past trauma to deal with it and come out the other side.
The first half of Black Box could probably be a whole movie in its own right. Nolan’s sessions with Lilina coupled with his struggles to piece together his old life amount for trying but rewarding drama. That’s because Nolan’s relationships are well constructed: his adorable bond with his daughter shows quickly how much they care for, hurt for, and love one another; throw in Gary as Nolan’s North Star, and you’ve got a solid support base for Nolan to go into his psych experiments. Lillian’s experiments are the highlight here though, with Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour showing his director chops on a smallish budget, using the imagined realities to exciting, scary effect as Nolan plunges into his subconscious, scared for what he might find.
The way Black Box is being pitched, and the way it’s directed, you know something is going on. But that’s when Osei-Kuffour’s writer’s hat kicks in. All great stories don’t rely on twists, they are enhanced by them. In Black Box’s case, the twist opens an entirely new, equally fascinating story element into the second act of the film. Those relationships established early are tested in extreme ways, thanks to the sterling performance from Mamoudou Athie, who has to vary how he acts, scene to scene. Allegories that have been set up in the first half get magnified and explored in the second, making Black Box a much deeper, interesting story that just a memory thriller. And holding the movie together is a strong emotional bedrock, making the story and resolutions matter.
Move over, Mr. General. There’s a new Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour in town. His game? Feature film. His IMDB page? Longer than yours, and growing exponentially. His football prowess? Ok, I went too far. My bad.