‘892’ | Sundance 2022 Review

Directed By:

Abi Damaris Corbin

Written By:

Abi Damaris Corbin, Kwame Kwei-Armah

Starring:

John Boyega, Michael Kenneth Williams Nicole Beharie, Connie Britton, Olivia Washington, Selenis Leyva

Genre:

Action, Drama, Thriller

U.S. Marine veteran Brian Easley is desperate. He lives estranged from his family, and is drowning financially due to unintentional circumstances. After not seeing another solution, Brian decides to rob a bank. Now being surrounded by police, news, and the worlds attention, it becomes evident that Brian is looking for a platform to speak his truth more than he is walking out alive with the money.

John Boyega gives an admirable performance in a nail-biting situation. The way he is showing the humanity of this character who truly doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but is completely out of options from his perspective. I love his interactions with the bankers, as well as the calls between him and the negotiator played by the late Michael K. Williams. This would be Michael K. Williams last role before he tragically passed away, and it’s one of his best.

The two characters share a bond by both serving their country, but another bond comes from the mutual contempt for the VA and how it is hurting average Americans who fought for their country. The main message of the film really clearly shows where the issue of mishandling and ignoring veterans issues for no reason other than process or rules. Seeing the pain caused by not treating people with dignity and instead price-gouging makes watching ‘892’ that much more painful.

Overall ‘892’ is a tension-building look at the issues with healthcare for veterans. It has great acting by the entire cast and has a strong message that will stay with you after the credits roll.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
Patrick Beatty
Patrick Beatty

Patrick Beatty is a film critic and creator of PatrickBeattyReviews.com and the Gaggle of Geeks Podcast network. Watch him Friday’s on ABC4 Good Things Utah talk about movies and follow all his work in the link below.

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