Imperial Dreams

Last updated
Imperial Dreams
ImperialDreamsPoster.jpeg
Official poster
Directed byMalik Vitthal
Written byMalik Vitthal
Ismet Prcic
Produced by Jonathan Schwartz
Andrea Sperling
Katherine Fairfax Wright
Starring John Boyega
Rotimi Akinosho
Keke Palmer
Glenn Plummer
De'Aundre Bonds
CinematographyMonika Lenczewska
Edited bySuzanne Spangler
Music by Flying Lotus
Production
company
Super Crispy Entertainment
Distributed by Netflix
Release dates
  • January 20, 2014 (2014-01-20)(Sundance)
  • February 3, 2017 (2017-02-03)(Netflix)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Imperial Dreams is an American drama film written and directed by Malik Vitthal. [1] [2] The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2014. [3] [4] It won the Audience Award at the festival. [5] [6] The film was released as a Netflix original film on February 3, 2017 but removed in February 2023. [7] [8]

Contents

Plot

A 21-year-old reformed gangster Bambi's devotion to his family, particularly his son Daytone, and his family's future are put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his violent old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles. Themes include mass incarceration, the importance of education, and the many obstacles present in the system that prevent those interested in rehabilitation from surviving when placed back in society.

Cast

Production

The title Imperial Dreams references a point in the movie where the nature of emperors of the projects is expounded upon. It's also a reference to the housing projects where the movie takes place, Imperial Courts, in Watts.

Reception

The film won the Audience Award: Best of NEXT at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. "Imperial Dreams" Wins the Best Of NEXT Audience Award (12186645506).jpg
The film won the Audience Award: Best of NEXT at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Imperial Dreams received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 91% of 11 film critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.3 out of 10. [9]

Geoffrey Berkshire of Variety , in his review called the film "Bighearted yet surprisingly nuanced." [10] Justin Lowe by his review for The Hollywood Reporter praised the film in calling it "An assured debut that stands to connect with a diverse audience." [11] Chase Whale of Indiewire graded the film B+ by saying that "John Boyega first wowed audiences with his dynamite performance in Attack the Block . Once again playing the anti-hero, Imperial Dreams is another victory lap for this young actor, who's going to go on to do big, big things." [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George MacKay (actor)</span> British actor (born 1992)

George Andrew J. MacKay is an English actor. He began his career as a child actor in Peter Pan (2003). He had starring roles in the British war drama Private Peaceful (2012), the romantic film How I Live Now (2013), For Those in Peril (2013), for which he won a BAFTA Scotland Award and was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award, and Marrowbone (2017). He gained wider recognition for his leading role in the war film 1917 (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundance Film Festival</span> Annual film festival in the United States

The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival takes place every January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at Sundance Resort, and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature films and short films, and a group of out-of-competition sections, including NEXT, New Frontier, Spotlight, Midnight, Sundance Kids, From the Collection, Premieres, and Documentary Premieres. Many films premiering at Sundance have gone on to be nominated and win Oscars such as Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brit Marling</span> American actress, screenwriter and producer

Brit Marling is an American actress and screenwriter. She rose to prominence after starring in several films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, including Sound of My Voice (2011), Another Earth (2011), and The East (2013), each of which she co-wrote in addition to playing the lead role. She co-created, wrote, and starred in the mystery series The OA (2016–2019), and the thriller miniseries A Murder at the End of the World (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Boyega</span> British actor (born 1992)

John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega, known professionally as John Boyega, is a British actor and producer. He first rose to prominence in Britain for his role as a teenage gang leader in the comedy horror film Attack the Block (2011), and had his international breakthrough playing Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016, and the Trophée Chopard at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Before Midnight</i> 2013 American romantic drama film directed by Richard Linklater

Before Midnight is a 2013 American romantic drama film directed by Richard Linklater, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. The sequel to Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004), it is the third installment in the Before trilogy. The film follows Jesse (Hawke) and Céline (Delpy), now a couple, as they spend a summer vacation in Greece with their children.

<i>Whiplash</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Damien Chazelle

Whiplash is a 2014 American psychological drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle, starring Miles Teller, J. K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, and Melissa Benoist. It focuses on an ambitious music student and aspiring jazz drummer (Teller), who is pushed to his limit by his abusive instructor (Simmons) at the fictional Shaffer Conservatory in New York City.

<i>Dear White People</i> 2014 film by Justin Simien

Dear White People is a 2014 American satirical dark comedy-drama film written, directed and co-produced by Justin Simien. The film focuses on escalating racial tensions at a fictitious, prestigious Ivy League college from the perspective of several black students. It stars Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Teyonah Parris, Brandon P. Bell, Brittany Curran, Marque Richardson and Dennis Haysbert.

<i>The Overnighters</i> 2014 American film

The Overnighters is a 2014 American documentary film written, directed, and produced by Jesse Moss. It premiered on January 18, 2014, as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival, and it won the festival's Special Jury Prize. The film also won a prize at the Miami International Film Festival, at which it was screened on March 13, 2014.

<i>Rich Hill</i> (film) 2014 American film

Rich Hill is a 2014 American documentary film co-produced and directed by Andrew Droz Palermo and Tracy Droz Tragos about Rich Hill, Missouri. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for a documentary.

<i>Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter</i> 2014 film directed by David Zellner

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is a 2014 American drama film co-written and directed by David Zellner. The film stars Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, Shirley Venard, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, and Kanako Higashi. Alexander Payne and Kikuchi serve as executive producers.

<i>20,000 Days on Earth</i> 2014 British documentary film

20,000 Days on Earth is a 2014 British musical documentary drama film co-written and directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. Nick Cave also co-wrote the script with Forsyth and Pollard. The film premiered in-competition in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on 20 January 2014. It won two Awards at the festival.

<i>Sepideh</i> (film) 2013 Iranian film

Sepideh – Reaching for the Stars is a 2013 Persian-language Danish documentary film written and directed by Berit Madsen. The film premiered in-competition at the 2013 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam on November 24, 2013.

<i>Nick Offerman: American Ham</i> 2014 film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Nick Offerman: American Ham is a 2014 American stand-up comedy film, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. It is written by the American actor, writer and carpenter, Nick Offerman. The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2014. The special was removed from Netflix in December 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Simien</span> American filmmaker, actor, and author (born 1983)

Justin Simien is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. His first feature film, Dear White People, won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. It was later adapted into the Netflix series of the same name (2017–2021). Simien has also been named to Variety's 2013 "10 Directors to Watch" list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Chazelle</span> American filmmaker (born 1985)

Damien Sayre Chazelle is a French-American filmmaker. He directed the psychological drama Whiplash (2014), the musical romantic drama La La Land (2016), the biographical drama First Man (2018), and the period film Babylon (2022).

<i>My Happy Family</i> 2017 Georgian film

My Happy Family is a 2017 Georgian drama film directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß. It was screened in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and had its world premiere in the Forum section at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. Ekvtimishvili and Groß were awarded Best Director at the Sofia International Film Festival, where their film was entered in the International Competition section. The movie was added to Netflix in December 2017 internationally and resided there until December 2022.

<i>The Sandman</i> (TV series) Fantasy drama television series

The Sandman is an American fantasy drama television series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. The series was developed by Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg for the streaming service Netflix and is produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. Like the comic, The Sandman tells the story of Dream / Morpheus, the titular Sandman. The series stars Tom Sturridge as the title character, with Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, and Patton Oswalt in supporting roles.

<i>Dick Johnson Is Dead</i> 2020 documentary film by Kirsten Johnson

Dick Johnson Is Dead is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Kirsten Johnson and co-written by Johnson and Nels Bangerter. The story focuses on Johnson's father Richard, who suffers from dementia, portraying different ways—some of them violent "accidents"—in which he could ultimately die. In each scenario, the elderly Johnson plays along with his daughter's black humor and imaginative fantasies. The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Innovation in Non-fiction Storytelling. It was released on Netflix on October 2, 2020.

<i>They Cloned Tyrone</i> 2023 film by Juel Taylor

They Cloned Tyrone is a 2023 American science fiction comedy mystery film directed by Juel Taylor, in his feature film directorial debut, from a screenplay he wrote with Tony Rettenmaier. It stars John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx as an unlikely trio uncovering a shadow government cloning conspiracy. David Alan Grier and Kiefer Sutherland also appear in supporting roles.

Jonathan Schwartz is an American film producer and former entertainment lawyer, known for producing independent features. Schwartz's credits include Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006), Douchebag (2010), Like Crazy (2011), Smashed (2012), Nobody Walks (2012), Breathe In (2013), Imperial Dreams (2014), and The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017). Through his production label, Super Crispy Entertainment, most of Schwartz's works have screened, won awards and secured distribution at the Sundance Film Festival. Throughout his career, he has collaborated extensively with producer Andrea Sperling, director Drake Doremus and actor-producer Logan Lerman.

References

  1. "Sundance 2014: South Central L.A. is the Wild West in 'Imperial Dreams' -- EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS". Entertainment Weekly. 2014-01-23. Archived from the original on May 7, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  2. "Sundance Reveals New Talent John Boyega in 'Imperial Dreams'". TheWrap. 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  3. "Sundance 2014: The Next Lineup". IndieWire. 10 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  4. "Interview with Imperial Dreams Producer Katherine Fairfax Wright". Filmmaker. 20 January 2014. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  5. "Sundance: 'Whiplash' & 'Rich Hill' Win Grand Jury Awards; Dramatic Directing Goes To Cutter Hodierne For 'Fishing Without Nets'". Deadline Hollywood. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  6. "'Whiplash' Owns the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Awards Netting Two Top Prizes". IndieWire. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  7. Moore, Kasey (2023-01-05). "'Imperial Dreams': Netflix Original Movie Leaving in February 2023". What's on Netflix. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  8. Moore, Kasey (2023-05-03). "Every Netflix Original Show and Movie Removed from Netflix". What's on Netflix. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  9. "Imperial Dreams (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  10. "Sundance Film Review: 'Imperial Dreams'". Variety . 20 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  11. "Imperial Dreams: Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter . 25 January 2014. Archived from the original on 14 April 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  12. "Sundance Review: 'Imperial Dreams' Features A Knockout Performance From 'Attack the Block' Star John Boyega". Indiewire . 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.