Summary
It is a slow-moving sequel that pushes the story of these three brothers trying to better their lives but falls short because it was overstuffed.
In 2019, the first film, Street Flow, was released on Netflix. The story follows three brothers who try to survive the streets of a tough French suburb. Their mother was worried about how her three sons would turn out because of the way they were living. It was difficult to grow up in an area where crime and violence were extremely high.
The three brothers chose their paths; Demba became a drug dealer, Soulaymann went the other direction and became a lawyer, and Noumoke is still trying to figure his life out. Noumoke has faced many challenges and even ended up in jail in part one.
Now, in the sequel, the brothers are all separated and living their lives. It’s two years later, and a montage at the beginning of Street Flow 2 shows how they’re living now. In this film, the brothers struggle to overcome the cycles of revenge, violence, and betrayal. They continue to fight for a brighter future in this suburb. They are two years wiser, but the world around them has gotten worse.
Street Flow 2 Review: A Difficult Movie to Process
After six months in prison for taking the fall for his brother, Noumoke gets back into his daily routine. He’s a changed teenager after spending those months in prison, and he has a chip on his shoulder. He walks around with great hype music in his ears as he walks down the street.
The song choices and the score work well in this film to set the tone for each character. It’s interesting to see how the brothers act when they are with their mother again. It’s almost like they have this tough persona in the outside world, and they can fully be themselves at home. The dinner scene between the four of them is the calm before the storm.
There is a war going on outside their window. The streets come alive at night as people attack others with mini bombs and fireworks. The brothers may have their quarrels, but they are all there for each other when they need to be.
They have each other’s backs, and that’s the message director Leila Sy wants audiences to take from this film. No matter the actions or what they say to each other, they do settle their differences.
When Noumoke is at school, he is pulled into a local gang rivalry because he acts out. It begins in class when Anis is condescending towards Noumoke, and he replies back with some sharp words. The tension builds when he sees what Anis is capable of outside of school.
Meanwhile, Demba is getting frustrated with his office job because he wants to be in the field helping people in court. He doesn’t realize that being a lawyer requires a lot of paperwork and reading. He doesn’t know if this is the path he wants to stay on.
As Demba slowly recovers, he is reminded of his trauma of the attack. He had to go to physiotherapy and get back in shape in order to leave the hospital. That was a rude awakening for him, and he did leave the gang, but the thought of revenge is always there.
Street Flow 2 Does Not Have The Best Pacing
Street Flow 2 is only an hour and a half, but it feels longer. The pacing isn’t the greatest, and it’s hard to connect with the characters because there is so much going on. The lives of the three brothers only coincide because of their relationship but not outside the home.
The brothers all have a difficult time moving forward and doing what’s right, but it’s almost too much for each of them to be going through something at the same time. Although Soulaymann’s story is a bit more tame than the other two brothers, it still feels overstuffed.
It is worth watching if you enjoyed the first film. If you’re invested in what the brothers are going to do with their lives, then this is a good second installment. It is just hard to process everything that happens in this film, and it does leave you questioning why the brothers went to the lengths that they did.
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