Akilla's Escape

Akilla's Escape from 2020, directed by Charles Officer, is a powerful and poignant drama crime film that features the brilliant performances of Saul Williams, Thamela Mpumlwana, and Donisha Rita Claire Prendergast. This powerful feature underscores the unending, cyclical nature of violence while also demonstrating the potential for personal growth and change.

At the heart of the movie is Akilla Brown (Saul Williams), a man with a complicated past who currently runs a Toronto marijuana dispensary. As the Canadian government legalizes cannabis, gangs that used to control the drug trade are now pushed to sell harder drugs. As Akilla plans to retire from this business, an unfortunate event puts him in an eerily reminiscent position of his own youth.

In the opening scene, a dispensary's routine operation is violently disrupted as a crew of young men attempts a brazen robbery. The situation turns violent, Akilla successfully disarms and captures one of the crew members, a terrified 15-year-old youth named Sheppard (Thamela Mpumlwana). It's precisely at this moment that Akilla's past and present converge, sparking a sense of empathy and recognition within him.

Superbly portrayed by Saul Williams, an internationally renowned poet and musician, Akilla is a character whose hard exterior is just a front for a complex, deeply introspective man. He is an individual ingrained in the cyclical nature of violence but who yearns to break free from its clutches. It is evident in the quieter moments, where he listens to Gil-Scott Heron or reads 'The Man Who Lived Underground' by Richard Wright.

Thamela Mpumlwana, conveniently alternating between roles, is given an equally challenging task. Besides his role as the present-day Sheppard, Mpumlwana also plays young Akilla in the film's flashback sequences. These scenes are set in New York in the early 90s, at the height of the crack epidemic, and thematically, they serve as significant elements that illustrate the film's exploration of cyclic violence passed through generations.

One of the most intriguing characters in Akila's Escape is Donisha Rita Claire Prendergast as June Lawson, an outsider to this world but a significant witness to Akilla's transformation. Prendergast's character provides a human, empathetic perspective and adds another layer to the narrative landscape.

The movie is more than just a run-of-the-mill crime drama; it's a profound soliloquy on fate, choices, and redemption. The narrative navigates historical events like the Draconian policies of the 1980s and the crack epidemic, as well as more recent events like the legalization of marijuana in Canada. Through these events, the movie reflects on how societies deal with crime and criminalization while providing social commentary on the cyclical nature of violence, systemic racism, and the struggle for survival within marginalized communities.

Charles Officer, the director and co-writer, astutely weaves a tale while drawing inspiration from The Greek mythology. The impact of the score cannot be understated; the moody atmosphere created allows viewers to truly immerse themselves in the narrative's gritty reality. Sean Michael Turrell's cinematography is equally commendable, his imagery detailed and vivid, capturing both the physical realities of urban life and the internal struggles of the central characters.

Overall, Akilla's Escape is not just a simple story of street crime, but it is a well-crafted narrative of a man's determination to break free from the violent cycles that threaten to define his existence. It's an emotional exploration of redemption and the powerful potential for change. With stellar performances from its primary cast, Akilla's Escape is a gripping drama that delves into one man's quest for redemption and escape from his haunted past.