Dominique Fishback

Synopsis

An obsessed fan of the world’s biggest pop star sets off on an unexpected cross-country journey.

Starring | Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Dre and Chloe Bailey (Praise This) as Marissa

Where to Watch | Amazon Prime

Release Date | Streaming March 17th, 2023

About SWARM

I will always be drawn to Donald Glover’s projects, whether a series, movie, or new music. He is an excellent overall artist, so when it was announced that his latest project, SWARM, would be streaming on Amazon Prime, I impatiently waited for the show to hit my screener’s queue. Let’s say I was not disappointed by the thriller.

With the writer for the award-winning series Atlanta, Janine Nabers, serving as writer and showrunner for the series, you can tell how similar the shows are in tone. One can say the shows share the same universe with the story, camera style, characters, and similar structures, besides all the murders that occur in SWARM.

As I was introduced to the lead character Dre played by Dominique Fishback within the first five minutes of watching the series, I was met with a visual of Chloe Bailey that I did not expect to see. I am sure people will be talking about it on the internet. We see Dre’s obsession with scrolling the internet of her music idol Ni’Jah, equivalent to Beyonce. In fact, the stories and rumors that have circled Beyonce are used in this series, down to her fan base known as the Bey-hive.

In a Vanity Fair interview, Nabers explained the lead character Dre by saying, “We were really interested in creating an antihero story,” She went on to mention how she and Glover drew inspiration from classic TV antiheroes who were messy but compelling—Mad Men’s Don Draper, The Sopranos’ Tony Soprano—and created a new version of that archetype, “through the lens of a Black, modern-day woman. Nabers and Glovers, combined with the acting of Fishback, create a truly mysterious but intriguing anti-hero in Dre.

When we first are introduced to Dre, she’s scrolling through her social media fan site of her favorite singer Ni’Jah, whose life she solely revolves around and is comparable to Beyonce. Dre is so obsessed with the artist she opens a credit card to buy tickets and doesn’t even have enough to pay her rent. Dre struggles to connect with the natural world and often feels awkward or out of place around others. There is character growth with Dre as she slowly sheds her shy and low confidence into a more confident murdering super fan. One might say she becomes a serial killer, with specific triggers that occur once someone attacks or does not acknowledge her idol Ni’jah.

Not only is Ni’jah closely similar to Beyonce, but even the events/tabloids surrounding Beyonce are similar, and in Atlanta fashion, the writers and actors make it work. Setting up jokes and planting easter eggs for the audience to enjoy, similar to the Teddy Perkins episode of Atlanta in season 2, episode 6, or the “Three Slaps” episode in Season three.

Dominique Fishback as Dre and Chloe Bailey as Marissa (Photos courtesy of Amazon Prime)

Chloe Bailey plays Dre’s best friend and roommate, Marissa, who seems more grounded and positively influences Dre. She has grown out of the Ni’Jah fandom and is the closest thing she has to family. Marissa plays a significant part in the series, contributing to Dre’s wild, murderous adventures from her routine life. Bailey has some great chemistry with Fishback as her best friend.

Outside of Bailey’s chemistry with Fishback, the introduction of the Marissa character within the first five minutes definitely came as a shock to me. Let’s say some adulting things happen, and don’t be shocked when you see it trending on social media. I know I was thrown entirely off guard.

Other guest stars include Damson Idris (Snowfall), Paris Jackson (Sex Appeal) and Billie Eilish, and X Mayo (The Blackening), who all play colorful characters that make each episode worth watching. Their interaction and communication with Dre are something you’ve probably heard from some friend, family member, or crazy neighbor but it’s hard to believe. Although the series is meant to cover two and half years’ worth of Dre’s life, it feels like more with the hijinks she gets herself into in different states.

SWARM has a lot of visuals that set the tone of each scene, mainly when Dre is triggered or has a flashback. At times, the change in environment, including colors, lighting, etc., made me unsure if Dre was in her head or actually playing it out in reality. Much credit goes to the series directors, including Adamma Ebo, Ibra Ake, Donald Glover, and Stephen Glover, for creating these scenes.

SWARM is a thriller with funny and shocking moments that will definitely trend. I have only seen the first four episodes, but I can already say that Dre’s stories get crazier than the people she meets, and it will serve as a palate-pleaser for fans of the Atlanta show. My biggest question is, what will Beyonce think of the series?

“ I AM A REVOLUTIONARY, I AM A REVOLUTIONARY!”

I’ve read the history books and heard some of the speeches by Fred Hampton. I must say, Daniel Kaluuya captured the essence of the activist. His presence in Judas and the Black Messiah is so powerful that even those on set have stated they believed Fred Hampton’s spirit was in the room. During the Sundance Q&A, Kaluuya talked about how he was losing his voice but the crowd was into his portrayal and yelling “I am revolutionary!” that he was able to push through and portray some powerful speeches.

The Chemistry

The best chemistry in the film was between Kaluuay and Dominique Fishback. Fishback’s portrayal of Deborah Johnson aka Akua Njeri provided the confidence and magnified the articulation of the Fred Hampton character. She also provided a space of vulnerability for him. Fishback’s talent in spoken word is displayed in this film as she wrote and read her work throughout the film. The two most touching poems were read around act two where she describes the love she has for Hampton and the other is in act three where she questions motherhood after Hampton’s release. Fishback explained during the Q&A that director Shaka King allowed her to show the character’s creativity on screen.

The love remains but there’s a shift in the relationship of both Hampton and Johnson in the third act, as Hampton’s imprisonment and activism cause him to become more dedicated to the cause. I really felt the connection between the two and I loved Fishback’s performance even more. The ending where she held back her tears and her composure combined with the camera angle was dope! I hope she gets some Oscar buzz.

It’s not easy writing characters like Roy Mitchell but Shaka King does a great job turning this protagonist into a compelling and conflicted character. At times, he is just as conflicted as his informant O’Neal. Especially in the scene where J. Edgar Hoover questions Mitchell on what he was going to do when his daughter brought home a “nigger”. You could see the initial equivocation in his response.

LaKeith Standfield kept the tension during the whole movie. From when his position was almost compromised after an FBI mole was tortured by the Panthers to him almost getting shot during a shoot out with the police. He basically shifts into paranoia and identity crisis as his portrayal of O’Neal reminded me of how desperate the character was. I often forget that O’Neal was so young and easy to influence. His interaction with Hampton reminded me of films like In Too Deep because O’Neal was able to see the good in Hampton’s efforts and the evil in the actions of the FBI.

It was too crazy to see that O’Neal died shortly after the documentary “Eyes on the Prize” premiered. The documentary featured O’Neal talking about the guilt and struggle he faced after the murder of Hampton.

I like the fact that Judas and the Black Messiah showed how the Panthers did things and provided services to the community. Hampton’s desire to build with the underrepresented community no matter the color was good to see on film.

Judas and the Black Messiah Summit

Shortly after the premiere of the film at Sundance, Warner Bros. put together an all-day virtual summit featuring the artist and actors from the film. One of my favorites is the conversation between Dominique Fishback and Akua Njeri. The summit also featured LaKeith Standfield, Daniel Kaluuya, and Fred Hampton Jr.

See the Movie!!!

Overall Judas and the Black Messiah is one of the best films you will see on HBO Max and in theaters this year. You will not be disappointed like I was after I watched The Little Things. Sorry y’all, Denzel is still the GOAT when it comes to acting but I’d rather eat a dry PopEye’s biscuit than try to watch that film again. Tune into HBO Max this Friday and check out this great film!