A Lot Of Nothing Review: Drama Starts Out Strong But Can't Keep Up Momentum
Directed by Mo McRae from a screenplay he co-wrote with Sarah Kelly Kaplan, A Lot of Nothing has a thoroughly fascinating conceit and it’s willing to go to great lengths to insightfully delve into the various plot threads it brings up. For a while, the film is engaging, ramping up the tension by putting characters in situations that drive their actions and emotions throughout. McRae provides a layered debut, but the film can’t maintain its momentum, spiraling in the final act as it scurries to introduce new information.
A Lot of Nothing opens with wealthy Black couple James (Y’lan Noel) and his wife Vanessa (Cleopatra Coleman) as they’re watching a news report about an officer killing a teenager. Vanessa is angry that something like this has happened again and is at a loss regarding what to do in such a situation. She no longer wants to sit on the sidelines doing nothing, especially when she and James discover the cop in question, Brian (Justin Hartley), lives right next door to them. She and James play off of each other’s emotions, but they ultimately go back to their lives the next day, where they are faced with microaggressions and racist comments like, “You’re one of the good ones.” When Vanessa decides to confront Brian, she and James enter into a situation that grows more complicated by the minute.
McRae walks a tightrope in a bid to explore race, class, and police killings. There are a number of things that work here — James and Vanessa’s impassioned argument about what they can do when they discover Officer Brian lives right next door, their push-pull dynamic when things escalate the next day, and the initial and awkward discussion between the couple, James’ brother Jamal (Shamier Anderson) and his fiancée Candy (Lex Scott Davis) when they're over for dinner. The latter showcases the different perspectives between the couples, especially as it pertains to their economic divide and the disparate ways in which Jamal and James want to handle Brian. Jamal is far more angry because of the way he's been treated by the police his whole life, whereas James tries not to rock the boat too much because of his status and wealth, having reached a level of success he would rather not divorce himself from.
Not only are the dynamics between the couples intriguing, but their interactions with Brian even more so. Through their conversations, and despite the unnecessary twist at the end, the differences between Brian, James, and Vanessa are clear. Brian seems nonchalant, unmoved by what's happening around him and the way Justin Hartley portrays him makes it clear he knows he holds the power regardless of how things escalate. It's something he lords over Vanessa and James to the point that, no matter how much they want to believe they are doing something worthwhile in the face of societal racism, it doesn't change things in the way they want it to. Through the tense situation, McRae crafts something intriguing, exploring themes of power, who holds it, and how anger can so easily be used to blame and condemn Vanessa and James for their actions while society absolves Brian of his.
A Lot of Nothing is greatly elevated by the performances of Y’lan Noel and Cleopatra Coleman, who give their all as James and Vanessa, respectively. The actors add nuance and depth to their characters as they uplift each other one moment and air out their grievances in the next. The tense conversations and building of tension is well done, but A Lot of Nothing doesn't deliver a satisfying enough ending despite a tremendously strong setup. The final act of the film starts to fall apart as it introduces relationship drama, familial issues, and a plethora of other things that shift its focus from the film's initial premise. That doesn't do the film any favors as it careens toward its end with a lot less gusto it starts with.
The opening scene is especially fantastic, one continuous shot of the couple reacting to the news of the police shooting, with the camera following them throughout different areas of their home while they sort through a range of emotions. Unfortunately, the film, despite its best efforts, never regains its footing after that, the fire somewhat diminishing thereafter as it tries to take on too many issues at once. The overall momentum stalls and prevents A Lot of Nothing from sticking its landing, but it's a promising debut from McRae, who has a strong grasp with regards to maintaining much of the film's tension through dialogue alone.
A Lot of Nothing had its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 13, 2022. The film is 104 minutes long and is not yet rated.