Capsule Review: A movie I completely overlooked during its initial release–I’m not even sure it was even given a marketing budget–A Thousand and One is a pleasantly surprising drama about the challenged upbringing of a young black man in New York. 

Teyana Taylor delivers an immersive performance as the complicated Inez, and the three actors who play Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney, and Josiah Cross) also do a good job.

The score by Gary Gunn is a standout as well.

As for the movie itself, A Thousand and One tells a powerful story, though one could argue we’ve seen other films explore similar themes and issues several times over. It doesn’t quite do enough to stand apart.

Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.