watch later

Not interested / seen

A Thousand and One (2023)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

Drama

best
THE VERY BEST

8.7

movie

United States of America
English
Character-driven, Dramatic, Emotional
2023
A.V. Rockwell, Female director
Adriane Lenox, Amelia Workman, Delissa Reynolds
116 min

Synopsis

rotten tomatoes
imdb
wikipedia
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.

Our Take

8.7
The Staff

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

What did you think? Who should watch it?

Next up

Taste of Cherry (1997)

7.3

A haunting premise, yet hopeful, search for connection one last time

Meet the Patels (2014)

7.8

A hilarious yet sweet documentary about Indian matchmaking

Blackberry (2023)

7.2

A darkly comic look at the rise and fall of the tech innovation and status symbol that was the Blackberry

Dust in the Wind (1986)

7.6

A slow, bittersweet coming-of-age love story seen through day-to-day glimpses and belated realizations

Riceboy Sleeps (2022)

best

8.6

An immigrant tale that is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking

Papicha (2019)

best

8.3

With fashion as their defiance, Papicha boldly unveils the resilience of women against the backdrop of an oppressive society

Mystery Train (1989)

6.7

Memphis, Tennessee (and Elvis Presley) are enough to draw three unexpected stories towards a run-down flophouse

The Hole (1998)

7.7

In a world where reality crumbles, a water shortage sets the stage for an unforgettable cinematic journey

Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy (2013)

best

8.5

An absurd and endlessly creative coming-of-age story that finds profound meaning in the mess of youth

Rouge (1987)

best

8.4

A vivid, stunning gothic romance in Hong Kong, torn across decades

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw

© 2023 agoodmovietowatch. Altona Studio, LLC, all rights reserved.