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Residue

Play trailer 0:50 Poster for Residue 2020 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 58% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
A filmmaker who wants to write a script about his childhood returns home to an unrecognizable neighborhood.
Residue

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Residue brilliantly reflects the unsettling experience of confronting memories in the place they were made -- and marks an auspicious debut for writer-director Merawi Gerima.

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Critics Reviews

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K. Austin Collins Rolling Stone 10/23/2020
4.5/5
Because this is a film that flows rather than catapults through its plot, the stuff that another movie would pull off too neatly here feels ephemeral and slippery. The textures Gerima generates are as rigorous as they are personal. Go to Full Review
Kevin Crust Los Angeles Times 09/21/2020
A righteously angry meditation on people, place and time, "Residue" marks not just an arresting directing debut for Gerima, but a blunt statement on contemporary culture. Go to Full Review
John DeFore The Hollywood Reporter 09/18/2020
An artful and piercing debut. Go to Full Review
Josh Parham Next Best Picture 06/05/2022
8/10
Even on such a small scale, Gerima is able to craft a deeply intimate portrait that also feels expansive in its commentary. Go to Full Review
Craig D. Lindsey Crooked Marquee 08/30/2021
A-
Residue is a furious, ferocious film, both a love letter and a middle finger to the one-and-only Chocolate City. Go to Full Review
Audrey Fox JumpCut Online 08/28/2021
Residue, directed by Merawi Gerima, presents gentrification as nothing less than an act of open hostility. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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03/24/2021 Must see for anyone living in the DMV See more 01/09/2021 Beautifully shot in a depressing yet real and inviting setting. Gives a great point of view from the black perspective in the United States. It can be funny at times by how ridiculous and obvious the new white inhabitants are. It gives a good glimpse into black culture as it shows a regular story for many people when they go home. See more 10/28/2020 I am a 3 generation native Washingtonian and let it be known any young brother from DC doing something good and positive has my support. But, I must admit DC is messed up if this is view from the cameras lens. Although this story is someone's life in DC, I was hoping for the more educational approach. We have many struggle movies out here and this one felt like another one. I guess I wanted more of a unified, rise above movie. I was definitely hoping to see some of our GoGo's best as more than a blurb or soundbite. All this may sound bad but, it isn't meant to be. I AM DC so I am very familiar with the many changes here but, I need a movie showing more of this good black life that actually is happening here. The director being a great example. DC has some really good black talent and some good black stories to offer. I said somebody needs to jump on doing a Original Series on GoGo. Only way the gentrification will stop is if we buy it back. Continued success and blessings to everyone involved in this body of work. AND....WATCH THE MOVIE STILL!!!! See more 10/12/2020 "Residue" is a very good first film tackling an important theme, the gentrification of American cities. Highly recommend it to drama lovers. See more 10/11/2020 I didn't find this story interesting and it was too slow. The visual and sound quality were also terrible. There's no excuse for being this cheap-looking. See more 10/02/2020 Completely unwatchable. I couldn't get past the first 5 minutes. The camera work is terrible, colour grading is terrible, sound is terrible. I had to turn it off, it was torture. Only because it's an independent film, doesn't mean the quality has to be that terrible. I've seen high-schoolers and Youtubers produce better work. I can't recommend this trash to anyone. I'd rather watch a film made by a 5 year old. Get it together my black brother. See more Read all reviews
Residue

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis A filmmaker who wants to write a script about his childhood returns home to an unrecognizable neighborhood.
Director
Merawi Gerima
Screenwriter
Merawi Gerima
Distributor
ARRAY Releasing
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 17, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 17, 2020
Runtime
1h 30m