agmtw logo
search
A Thousand and One (2023)

A Thousand and One (2023)

At once intimate and sweeping, this stunning debut feature perfectly melds personal turmoil with sociopolitical strife

The Very Best

8.0

Movie

United States of America
English, Portuguese, Spanish
Crime, Drama
2023
A.V. ROCKWELL, FEMALE DIRECTOR
Adriane Lenox, Amelia Workman, Artrece Johnson
116 min

What it's about

Struggling but unapologetically living on her own terms, Inez is moving from shelter to shelter in mid-1990s New York City. With her 6-year-old son Terry in foster care and unable to leave him again, she kidnaps him so they can build their life together. As the years go by, their family grows and Terry becomes a smart yet quiet teenager, but the secret that has defined their lives threatens to destroy the home they have so improbably built.

The take

At once intimate and sweeping, A Thousand and One seamlessly weaves Inez's personal turmoil and familial troubles with the systemic inequality that was rampant in '90s New York. The hideous faces of gentrification, poverty, and police brutality are constantly appearing in the film, not merely because they lend weight to the story, but because they are inevitable for people like Inez. People who, despite their best efforts at achieving upward mobility are continually pushed down by self-serving institutions. 

It's easy for social issue dramas like this to buckle under the weight of their lofty goals, but nothing about A Thousand and One feels forced. Just the opposite, the film has an authentic quality to it—almost documentary-like in its precise depiction of Harlem throughout the years. It's deeply personal and achingly tender, and everything else—the social commentary and the political beats—stems from that specificity. 

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.6

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Compassionate filmmaking reconstructing a 24-hour police brutality story – with a stunning lead by Michael B. Jordan

9.7

Burning Betrayal (2023)

A Brazilian erotic thriller that hasn’t lit up a spark

5.5

A Better Life (2011)

The illegal immigrant experience, portrayed with heart

7.6

Holy Spider (2022)

A timely and terrifying noir that takes on systemic abuse and corruption in Iran

8.0

Society of the Snow (2023)

J.A. Bayona remembers the humanity, not the sensationalism, of the Andes miracle

8.2

Familia (2023)

A tense and confrontational family gathering in an idyllic Mexican olive ranch

7.0

The Kings of the World (2022)

A knife-sharp account of five kids' journey to land restitution and self-determination

8.4

Argentina, 1985 (2022)

A gripping courtroom drama tracking the fall of Argentina's military dictatorship

7.9

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.