Concrete Cowboy

  Concrete Cowboy came to Netflix on April 6th of 2021. When I first saw the trailer I found it a bit silly. But overall I was very interested. I mean a movie about modern-day black cowboys? Sign me up.     

    The movie is set in Philidelphia and follows a troubled boy named Cole (Caleb McLaughlin) as he spends the summer with his father Harp (Idris Elba). Who is one of Philadelphia's last cowboys. 

    I really had no expectations coming into this movie, but I am definitely glad I decided to watch it. The movie gives the audience both a history lesson and a story about the Fletcher Street Riders. When people were abandoned and left to fend for themselves the stables were there for them. The stables gave them a purpose and a way to stay out of trouble. 

    My favorite part about this movie would have to be the actors. Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, and even Method Man really carried this movie. These actors were phenomenal. In each scene they really made you feel how serious it was or light-hearted. It was really fun to watch. 

    I liked the storytelling as well. This wasn't a thriller or action movie. This is a story based off of real-life black cowboys and the movie really gives us the whole picture. It shows how they were able to survive all of these years as well as where the future will lead them. The story does a good job of depicting how a father-son relationship mends into something great. 

    The ending is bittersweet as the characters realize that things are changing. Those things they've always known are gone and they'll have to adapt in order to keep their culture alive.

    A few of the things I did not like had to do with Idris Elba and the ending. Elba did a great job in this movie and was one of my favorite characters, but at times it was really hard to buy him as a cowboy. And with him being from England his accent seemed a bit off. The end also left a little bit to be desired.. I wish there was a bigger goal the writers were trying to achieve with the ending.

    This is a good movie and if you have Netflix I suggest you give it a watch.