Pan and Slam

Chi-Raq

R  |  127 min

by Jason Koenigsberg

In honor of Black History Month, Pan and Slam’s Streaming Pick of the Week is the newest film from the often controversial and always bold director Spike Lee. Chi-Raq is a highly entertaining fantasy-fable for adults. It features terrific performances from its talented cast none better than Teyonah Parris as the female leading a “no sex” crusade trying to put an end to gun violence in Chicago. She won the Pan and Slam Award for Best Actress and should have at least earned an Oscar Nomination. The editing is fast paced and energetic creating an urgency that makes scenes feel powerful when they could have been lackadaisical. The screen is often filled with liveliness and vigor, driving home the importance of the films message. The costumes are also great albeit unrealistic but the heightened sense of reality helps make Chi-Raq feel important and hopefully get its message across to the people that can change the violence facing inner cities everywhere. I have already praised this film in my review and in my editorial about the #Oscarssowhite controversy. You can now stream it and see Chi-Raq for yourself. 

Chi-Raq is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.