Five Star

A quiet, sweltering immersion into street life, blending documentary realism with fiction to create an intimate and tense character study.

Directed by

Keith Miller

Genres

Drama

Starring

James 'Primo' Grant, John Diaz, Wanda Nobles Colon

Overview

After John’s absent father is struck by a stray bullet, Primo takes it upon himself to verse the young boy in the code of the streets—one founded on respect and upheld by fear. A member of the Bloods since the age of twelve—both in the film and in reality—the streets of Brooklyn are all Primo has ever known. While John questions whether or not to enter into this life, Primo must decide whether to leave it all behind as he vows to become a better husband and father. Set during those New York summer weeks where the stifling heat seems to encase everything, Five Star plunges into gang culture with searing intensity. Director Keith Miller observes the lives of these two men with a quiet yet pointed distance, carefully eschewing worn clichés through its unflinching focus. Distinctions between fiction and real life remain intentionally ambiguous, allowing the story of these two men to resonate beyond the streets, as they face the question of what it means to be a man.

How it feels

Tense, melancholic, earnest and dark. Slow-burning and needs your attention.

About

Family, identity, violence, crime

Content

Strong language. Mild violence. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)