Splash City: The Bay Gets An Exacting Crime Drama [Review]

Introducing Splash City

How much does the place you’re from influence your story, personally? That’s the question at the heart of Splash City.

This crime drama comes to us from Lionsgate and Berner. But, on a textual level, Splash City really comes to the viewer straight from San Francisco and Oakland. It’s a location that doesn’t often get a spotlight when it comes to street dramas like this. Yes, you’ll get “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” or “Fruitvale Station.” But, those narratives take a very different approach to the city we’re discussing here. 

Elijah “Slim” Johnson (Zach Sowers) and Julian “Juju” Johnson (Reed Shannon) are two brothers trying to leave a legacy. And, through vastly different means. Although their stories drift apart over the course of the film, Slim has an elusive ticket out of the hood, and his younger brother Juju is looking for a direction out in the streets.

And, at the core of this story is the bipping phenomenon. Basically car boosters. Breaking into people’s vehicles to steal any valuables they get their hands on. Juju is a prolific member of the cruise that popularized this trend. I learned directly from executive producer and partial director Berner that this was a massive thing in San Francisco for real during the last two decades. But, most crime stories can really trace their lineage back to this sort of risk reward in the heat of the moment that percolates inside every moment of Splash City. 

Splash City Investigates Power As A Key

Over Splash City’s 93 minute runtime, The viewer understands the stakes for the characters. Juju suffers a tremendous personal loss and retreats into neighborhood crews to escape that pain. Opposite him, Quincy “Galaxy” Brooks plays Darnell “Dolo” Ferguson. This Dolo kid is a menace and I mean that complementarily. Almost every scene Brooks enters, the camera can’t help but be enticed by his Charisma.

 Even with that said, Dolo and Juju are on a collision course. And, especially as we enter the 3rd act, it becomes clear that these two young men will have to meet at a crossroads. There’s all the hallmarks of crime drama of years past. There are double crosses, the audience becomes aware of information that the characters desperately need miles ahead of time. And, the Allure of a street lifestyle Dances seductively right in front of your face. Of course, Juju is willing to risk everything. Look at what these other dudes are getting!

 Still, even with a glitzy coat of paint, the danger inherent in certain parts of San Francisco is never too far away. What you say, and what you do, can come back on you in a hurry. Berner and co-director Alex Ferrufino Always film acts of Motion on the hop. There’s a sense of urgency to every pan and zoom as one of these kids gets ready to bust a window out of a car and make off with a backpack. 

In particular, our opening sequence that explains bipping is a standout visual moment of the entire film. There’s a ticking clock on all of these young men, and nothing illustrates that better than trying to score before you get caught.

The Duo At The Heart of The Film

Galaxy and Shannon deserve a lot of praise here. Dolo’s menace and creeping paranoia supply the tension that keeps this Joy ride on the same track. Shannon is unsure, but charismatic in his own right is juju. Especially in the last 3rd of the film, he comes into his own with a motivation beyond simply getting revenge or hitting the biggest look possible. Maybe everything he’s ever dreamed of is actually in his grasp; he’s just gotta reach up there and get it?

Shannon in particular has a rough task of trying to bring through Juju’s winning personality in the face of real stakes and the walls closing in around him. This one is not for the faint of heart. And, despite being dealt a rough hand, this young man is going to have to think on his feet to get everything he’s after all at once.

For Galaxy, being consumed by the raw pursuit of power manifests in a couple different ways. In another treatment of this story, he would be the protagonist. Climbing the ladder, earning respect, and then being painted into a corner are all key points in the normal sequence of a crime drama. But, The creative team goes to great lengths to flip those expectations on their heads by the time we get to the climactic standoff in the last 3rd of the film. You’ve been on a journey with these two men and things have to come to a head.

What Lies Across the Bridge? 

There’s been a lot of digital ink spilled about the idea of ‘finding your own voice’ over the last decade or so. Communities getting the chance to tell their stories on the big screen or small screen, and who should get the keys to a particular narrative. Berner really took matters into his own hands here. Partnering with Lionsgate to bring this drama to the screen is something that people in Oakland and San Francisco are really going to be invested in. Look no further than that massive in person screening over the weekend up in The Bay

 Of a crime drama with a lethal edge, you’ll probably enjoy what Splash City has to offer. Sometimes, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, you just have to steer into another neighborhood to see what life is like over there

Score 78%

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