Sleight originally premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Met with some solid reviews, this indie thriller about a street magician caught up in some criminal activities has been one to look out for. There is a vibe here that certainly suggests something original by way of Chronicle, despite not being shot in a "found footage" format. Additionally, movies featuring magicians, in general, has always seemed like something that could work well for cinema. However, for every instance of The Prestige, there seems to be plenty of misses like The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.
Given the premise and a generally warm reception, Sleight certainly has the potential to be a unique release for the year. Both WWE Studios and Blumhouse Tilt thought as much, as the film was acquired by them and will be released this coming April. To be ready for the big show, an official trailer has now been released for the film, along with an official poster. Take a look at the illusions on display and get a feel for what kind of power this young street magician seems to be harnessing.
Get more details on Sleight by reading the plot synopsis below, which also lists the talented cast involved in this slick-looking film:
A young street magician (Jacob Latimore) is left to care for his little sister after their parents passing and turns to illegal activities to keep a roof over their heads. When he gets in too deep, his sister is kidnapped and he is forced to use his magic and brilliant mind to save her. Sleight stars Jacob Latimore (Collateral Beauty), Storm Reid (12 Years A Slave, Ava DuVerney’s upcoming A Wrinkle in Time), Seychelle Gabriel (Falling Skies), Dulé Hill (The West Wing), Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live) and Cameron Esposito (Mother’s Day).
Sleight comes from debut director J.D. Dillard, who has mostly worked on shorts and helped out with the visual effects for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (along with many others). Star Latimore has been slowly coming up, with supporting roles in films such as The Maze Runner and more recently Collateral Beauty. Add to that a solid supporting cast, including the veteran of the bunch, Dule Hill, and there is a good amount of talent to help build this film up.
The story seems fairly familiar, given the involvement of an innocent man and his family with a charismatic crime figure and doing what is necessary to break away, but what else could be going on here? As said, there is a vibe that certainly suggests something along the lines of Chronicle, but with less of a focus on teen angst and more driven by urban life and getting by. That opens up the story to some new avenues, but the most interesting one obviously revolves around the nature of Latimore's character's abilities. It seems to be more than just simple parlor tricks.
Sleight opens in theaters April 7th, 2017.
Source: BH Tilt