There’s a strong spiritual giddy-up that propels the heartfelt and engaging “Concrete Cowboy,” a coming-of-age story in which an unruly teenager reins in his self-destructive impulses with the help of his father, an urban horseman who has found his unlikely reason to live in the hidden stables of Philadelphia.
Though there are bits of cheesy dialogue that seem written by wise Jedi master Yoda, and well-worn scenes that appear plucked from “The Wire,” the outstanding acting ensemble and the authentic Black cowboy motif are transcendent, making this Netflix film — which begins streaming Friday, April 2 — highly watchable.
Cole (Caleb McLaughlin, excellent) is a 15-year-old Detroit boy who is one or two bad decisions away from being imprisonedor killed. Desperate, his mother drops him off on the doorstep of his estranged father, Harp (Idris Elba, stellar), in North Philly. Cole, of course, wants nothing to do with his new digs — a horse resides inside the living room — or his uncompromising father.
In short order, Cole is exposed to Harp’s fellow Black horsemen in the neighborhood, and in this arena, “Concrete Cowboy” excels. The Black cowboys wear Stetsons, mount horses in vacant urban lots, spend their days cleaning ramshackle stables and regale each other with campfire stories. Except for the occasional flashing police car or background housing project or hip-hop song, one might think we are in the Dodge City of yesteryear, instead of modern-day North Philly. The effect is enthralling.
Director Ricky Staub puts this true-to-life subculture into historic context: Black cowboys were prominent in the Wild West, only to be excised in Hollywood movies. In Philly itself, Black cowboys thrived for a century by operating horse-drawn carriages, only to see those traditions threatened by modernity and gentrification.
“Concrete Cowboy” tends to stray when Cole falls under the wings of Smush (Jharrel Jerome), an able horseman who has come to believe that selling drugs is his only way out of the hood. These scenes, though nicely crafted, have a familiar and predictable feel, and we yearn for more of the father-son dynamic.
智慧,最强大的场景在电影中出现s when Cole lashes out against his father for his perceived hostility, wherein Harp explains — with the help of a jazz tune — exactly where he is coming from. It’s a beautiful moment, and it’s easy to see why producer Lee Daniels (who helmed the similarly soulful “Precious”) would gravitate to this project.
Elba, not surprisingly, makes an indelible impression as a grizzled, melancholic, yet uplifting man who is more comfortable riding a horse than dealing with the emotionally fraught notions of fatherhood, marriage and family. Elba’s screen time is relatively brief, but his presence hovers over every frame of the film.
麦克劳林,另一方面,是一个惊喜,because his well-known role on “Stranger Things” (as Lucas, the pleasant but bland boy next door) offers us little clue about this gifted actor’s ability. Much of “Concrete Cowboy” rests on McLaughlin’s young shoulders, and he delivers an unguarded performance that is both moving and genuine.
Beyond the superb acting,“Concrete Cowboy” gets a lot of mileage from its visually arresting riding scenes and its spot-on score, which is both haunting and inspirational.
It almost veers into spoiler territory to reveal that many in the cast are actual cowboys, but under Staub’s direction, they all come off as professional actors. You’ll have to wait until the splendid closing credits to see who is the real deal at the stables — but it’s worth the ride.
M“Concrete Cowboy”:Drama. Starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin. Directed by Ricky Staub. (R. 111 minutes) Streams on Netflix starting Friday, April 2.