Spike Lee’s latest film, BlacKkKlansman—based on the true story of the first black detective to work at the Colorado Springs Police Department and infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan—just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. If the trailer is any indication, this looks like a prescient treatise on ignorance, through an exploitation lens that's equally hilarious and insightful.
According to Deadline, Ron Stallworth (Ballers’ John David Washington) is on a personal and career-defining mission to infiltrate the KKK, but desperately needs a white face to do the actual, in-person police work—which is where Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) comes in. While Stallworth rightfully takes the klan’s ethics personally, Zimmerman is a tad more indifferent toward their existence. As you can tell, Stallworth is confused why Zimmerman, who's Jewish, doesn’t have any “skin in the game.”
Jordan Peele of Key & Peele and Get Out fame produced this movie, alongside Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions, and Spike Lee himself. The result, in terms of the specific producer pedigree here, makes absolute sense—you have Lee’s confident and composed photography, Peele’s comedic sensibilities, and a strong rollout that Blumhouse is known for, all wrapped up in one. As far as Spike Lee joints go, this is one that might actually get recognized, make a nice amount of money, and get critically lauded. It’s been a while since all three of those elements were in motion for Lee.
Besides that, there’s a really welcome grain to the film, an homage to the period and a sure sign that Lee put some thought into what he was making here. Adam Driver and John David Washington seem perfectly cast in their roles. While this movie is tackling some pretty hardcore issues, ones that depressingly and terrifyingly still feel contemporary, this looks like a really fun ride that is easy on the eyes, all at once.
BlacKkKlansman hits theaters nationwide on August 10, 2018.
