Opened: June 12, 2020

Directed by: Spike Lee

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Jean Reno, Veronica Ngo, Johnny Tri Nguyễn, Lê Y Lan, Nguyễn Ngọc Lâm & Sandy Hương Phạm

Director Spike Lee Makes an ambitious film with Da 5 Bloods, which not only highlights black soldiers in the Vietnam War but their struggle to cope with the aftermath.

Four Vietnam veterans – Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis) and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) – plus Paul’s son David (Jonathan Majors) return to the country to recover lost gold and the remains of their fallen squad leader Norman (Chadwick Boseman).

Lindo gives a strong performance as Paul deals with his demons that he brought home for the war. Several scenes have him speaking directly to the camera and the audience feels his agony even deeper than normal.

Released at the time of heightened racial discrimination in the U.S., the highlights of Black Lives Matter and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak loudly.

Final say: Unexpected gold. ★★★★☆