Nocturne 

We have a long way to go with LGBT representation in film, especially when it comes to LGBT characters of color and trans characters.

The Gates, John Burr’s new thriller film, is a disturbingly realistic portrayal of three Black twenty-somethings - Derek (Mason Gooding), Kevin (Algee Smith), and Tyon (Keith Powers), as they accidentally take a wrong turn into a gated community that’s more like a modern-day sundown town. The three friends witness a variety of crimes in their new surroundings, including an attempted homicide and an attempted rape. As they attempt to alert the authorities and do the right thing, they are thwarted at every turn by the worst horror stories of American conservatism - racist white suburbanites, reckless gun violence, corrupt police, religious mania, and a megalomaniacal pastor. 

As legal dramas go, we rarely see an African-American actor in the lead role. "The Burial" has several.

Where we leave the characters is in such a peaceful and optimistic place. It feels well-earned to ensure everyone gets their own specially-crafted happy ending.

The film illustrates the life of a single who struggles to provide an ideal childhood for her two daughters.

A throwback to the last months of the 20th century in this comedy film.