Source: J. Rhodes / Handout
A year after the unrest of 2020, there’s many who are wondering where all those allies that popped up back then are now. A new film that’s the brainchild of an award-winning producer looks to answer that question.
J. Rhodes (born Justin Rhodes), whose musical production work includes teaming up with Dr. Dre, Black Thought, Rick Ross and many more is the main force behind the film It’s A Wonderful Plight. The film is billed as a Hip-Hop musical that focuses on a young white man in Dallas, Texas named Scott (played by Brian Shorkey) who gets called out for his professed love of Hip-Hop and Black culture hiding his own hidden prejudices and appropriation. He gets shown the error of his ways due to help from a “woke spirit” named Josef the Hotep (played by Rhodes). Along the way, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at Black American history, with reenactments that touch upon figures from Dr. Martin Luther King to Tupac Shakur and even showcasing tragic deaths by police such as Botham Jean’s with insight and sharp wit. The producer laughingly refers to it as “A Christmas Carol meets Hamilton“.
“The beauty of the film is that it tells a story told a thousand times, in a way that has never been told before. That’s extremely tough to do & I’m proud to be a part of the team that executed such greatness,” says J. Rhodes. This is on the heels of his Vintage Rhodes Productions creating short films that gained acclaim at the American Black Film Festival and other showcases since 2016. The film has already gotten rave reviews since being in limited release last year, landing on USA TODAY‘s list of films to see this summer.
It’s A Wonderful Plight will be available to view on Amazon Prime on June 15. Peep the trailer below.
