Director – Malik Vitthal (Imperial Dreams, Leela)
Starring – Mary J. Blige (Rock of Ages, The Help), Nat Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band, Paper Towns), and David Zayas (Dexter, The Expendables)
Release Date – 2020
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “Protect. Serve. Survive.”
I’m the worst for judging a book by it’s cover. Most of the time when I get a movie in I have a pre-conceived notion about if I will like it or not. I’m not always right but the right far outweighs the wrong. A few days ago I received the movie Body Cam in for review. The artwork was generic and I was under the impression it was a cop drama. I was not looking forward to checking it out but I put on my big boy pants and tossed it in. I’m glad I did because it really impressed me.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows officer Renee Lomito-Smith (Blige) who responds to a call and finds the mangled body of another officer. Shocked, she scrambles to his patrol car to view the body cam footage. No one else can see the footage which lands her in some hot water and soon even more darker situations occur and she uncovers a murder that other officers and her superior covered up and the supernatural presence killing those responsible. **Spoiler Alert**
I avoided this one for a few days but now I feel fucking stupid. The movie was nothing like the artwork lead me to believe and I can see myself revisiting this one sometime in the near future. Sure, it is a little goofy at times but when it was all said and done I really enjoyed what it delivered.
The acting in this one is solid. The cast does what is asked of them but the characters do not make the film. In fact, anyone could be cast in the film and it would make no difference. The characters are all flat and not entertaining.
The story for this one is not what I was expecting at all. I was expecting a cop drama or thriller but was greeted with a surprised supernatural angle. It works but it also rings loudly at current events in the U.S. where police shoot first and ask questions later. I really liked the supernatural touch but I loved the political message as well. It’s not often that a movie tackles police corruption much less a horror film but I really liked that.
Finally, the film has some visual effects that were surprisingly well done. The film has some blood but those of you looking for a bloodbath will be very disappointed. Overall, Body Cam is not the movie you think it is. It does have it’s short comings but is still a very entertaining film at the end of the day. I highly suggest you check it out.
