5 reasons you must watch Spike Lee’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’

Despite recent decades apart, Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters) Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr. ) have a strong bond when they reunite in Vietnam in the present day. Each of these actors portrays their complex characters masterfully, seamlessly balancing the comedic moments with the somber realities they’re grappling with.

Chadwick Boseman is equally haunting and charismatic in this supporting role and Lindo does a particularly perfect job displaying the anguish that’s bubbling just beneath the surface. The chemistry between these actors is palpable and the love shared between these Black men is something rarely captured in film.

It’s a history lesson. 

Entertaining as it is, this film is a history lesson for sure. It opens with a montage of moments that range from protests and marches to the moon landing and Agent Orange; painting a picture that spans several decades and touches on battles we have been fighting from slavery to the civil rights movement and beyond.

Somehow, Da 5 Bloods captures our community’s history of coping (or not coping) with the trauma of living in this country while Black. It also makes it clear that Black lives didn’t matter when the government was shipping our men to Vietnam to fight for a country that hated them and in 2020, not much has changed.

It’s a kick-ass heist flick. 

For such a powerful and important film, Da 5 Bloods is still an action-heavy heist flick at heart and a damn good one. The story twists and turns enough to keep you guessing until the end and the bloody battles are, well…bloody. Even though the remaining four “Bloods” may be past their prime, prepare to be impressed by their moves while dodging dangers like land mines and the jungle.