Beats Quick View Skip, Skip, Skip, Skip... Still Searching for a Beat I Can Use Grade: D+

Source: IMDB

Beats tells a story about a producer August (Khalil Everage) whom is dealing with PTSD, which was caused of the aftermath of his sister’s murder. A school security guard, whom used to be a music manager Romelo (Anthony Anderson) was ordered to get August and fellow classmates back to school or else budget cuts would be made to the school, due to the fact barely any students are present. Romelo goes to August’s house, hears the music he’s playing from downstairs, has an eye that August has talent and decides to work with him, to hopefully get a record deal. Let’s go through the few positives I have for this little Netflix movie. For the most part Anthony Anderson and Khalil Everage have solid chemistry together, couple of their scenes together were good, Romelo in a way felt like a father/brother figure August needed in his life. I believe the chemistry fell apart at the very end, it was not because of Anderson and Everage, it’s more of the script’s fault because let’s face it, that whole third act was a mess. I enjoyed Paul Walter Hauser once again, this role is less comedic than the others he had in the past... But arguably the best performance in the entire film, he’s just a good actor that is more than just laughs, always looking forward to whatever he has for us. I like the concept of making a story about a producer in music. If you look at modern day music, especially rap music, the recording artist majority of the time are over powered by the producer... Majority of the time the producer out shines the artist, not necessarily a bad thing, but more credit should be given to the producer than the artist because to be honest majority of artists today are just mediocre, saved by great beats. So I like the fact they are making a film about the producer for once. However this film is just not good, not terrible but certainly was just eh. Now this film made a story about a producer whom has PTSD, which I have no problem with both of those ideas, it just has to flow correctly... It doesn’t. This PTSD is very selective while being inconsistent. At times August goes through panic attacks in quiet areas, but at a loud party he’s perfectly fine. I mean sometimes they got it right, but at times when August is slowly becoming to get over his PTSD, it never felt like it was earned. It should be a slow process to recovery, yet this film made it felt like a rushed recovery as it doesn’t work. The film can be predictable at a couple times. I mean the beginning was clear as day, I didn’t know what this film was about before going in, as it took me a minute to know where the first conflict was going to occur. I didn’t like the whole “I’m destroying all of what I love, because I’m sad” cliche... Even the scene that follows this scene was just laughable. The story isn’t bad, I was kind of enjoying the average told story... Until the third act where it just crumbles down to the floor. Nothing about that third act worked, t’was a mess. August having a love interest could’ve been constructed better, toss his douche “friend” out the door, those two scenes are just not needed. My biggest flaw with this film is the editing... It’s atrocious. Let’s start with the opening song following August’s sister’s death... Why would you play this song after a tragic moment?! It talks about oral sex and just a bunch of nonsense, like it’s just a tasteless song to play after somebody just got shot. The editing gave me a headache, by all the jump cuts it has, like I kid you not many scenes had about at least 30 cuts... It’ll drive you absolutely nuts, it’s worst than Bohemian Rhapsody level of editing. Like even simple scenes of characters just talking, I don’t get why there’s 15 jump cuts, from 7 different angels for a three minute scene, it’s ridiculous. Overall, Beats is just not a good movie. I don’t recommend this film, not a complete waste of time, just wasn’t good. -Mitch Smietana