Have Cheetah,Will View #523 – “April” (2021)

Its 7:15 am
cold and clear

Earlier this year I got a ping from film director Darren James King who shared with me that he was filming a new film. Of course this was happy news to me because Darren is a super talented filmmaker and his films are always very strong.
He shared that this project was going to be a feature length film and I asked him to keep me in the loop and of whch he graciously did. While he couldn’t share plot details,he did say it was going to be a drama this time out. Now films take time to make already but toss in a pandemic and making a feature film because even more difficult.
But Darren and his loyal and dedicated crew and actors pushed through and have produced a superb gritty drama in “April”.

Bringing attention to the growing problem of grooming young people for either drug dealers or worse,human traffiking rings through the eyes of the criminal is refreshing and bold. “April” has the same vibe as “Menace II Society”,we are watching a man who is dliding to a certain end unless he can wise in time to save him and in this case,his latest victim,a 17 year old girl named April.
What really drives “April” is Neal Ward who plays Myles,Ward is just oustanding as a man who thinks he wants to get out but keeps looking back towards the life he needs to run from. While King’s writing shows that Myles’s upbringing was one of abuse and fear,he also is smart enough to not make Myles a sympathetic character and that his choices have led him to this point.
Kelly Goudie,whom we last saw in “The Baylock Residence” has a small but critical role as Chelsea,who tries to wake Myles up as the cliff to ruin edges ever closer.
I really liked “April” quite a bit and am pleased to know that Bayview Entertainment will be handling distribution here in the United States which means we here in North America will be able to check out this top notch drama.

You can watch my review above and come back and drop a comment.. As I have said before,Darren James King,who also does double duty as an actor in “April” shows why he is a director to keep an eye on. He is extremely gifted and has his thumb on the pulse of today’s world.