Joe Robert Cole landed on many people’s radar in 2018 after the billion-dollar theatrical run of Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther,” which he co-wrote alongside Ryan Coogler. Now, the writer makes the leap into directing with his first feature film, “All Day and a Night.”
As seen in the trailer for the upcoming Netflix crime drama, “All Day and a Night” tells the story of a kid that witnesses his father, who is a well-known criminal, murder a guy. From there, at every turn, he’s trying to do what’s best, but he keeps getting dragged back into the world that he so desperately wants to leave behind.
The film stars Ashton Sanders, who broke out in a big way in “Moonlight,” and Jeffrey Wright. Joining those two in the cast are Regina Taylor, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Isaiah John, Kelly Jenrette, and Shakira Ja’Nai Paye. As mentioned, “All Day and a Night” marks the directorial debut for Joe Robert Cole, who also wrote the film.
“All Day and a Night” arrives on Netflix on May 1.
Here’s the synopsis:
As soft-spoken Jahkor Abraham Lincoln (Ashton Sanders, Moonlight) struggles to keep his dream of rapping alive amidst a gang war in Oakland, his ill-fated life and real-world responsibilities drive him further and further across the line of right and wrong with tragic consequences. Landing in prison beside his father, J.D. (Jeffrey Wright, Westworld) whom he never wanted to be like, Jahkor embarks on an unlikely journey of self-discovery, exploring the events that unite them, in hopes of helping his newborn son break a cycle that feels unavoidable. A powerful film from Black Panther co-writer Joe Robert Cole, ALL DAY AND A NIGHT is produced by Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson (The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story), and Jared Ian Goldman (Ingrid Goes West).