Review Roundup: Here’s What Everyone Is Saying About Teyana Taylor’s ‘A Thousand And One’

A Thousand and One will debut in theaters on March 31, 2023. (Focus Features)

Where To Watch: March 31, 2023 (In Theaters)

Starring: Teyana Taylor, William Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aaron Kingsley Adetola

Synopsis: A Thousand and One follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps her six-year-old son Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.

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Critics’ Chatter

“Shot by DP Eric K. Yue with a sharp eye for the evolution of the city and its toll on marginalized communities, the film benefits enormously from the authenticity of its locations and the director’s sensitivity to the casualties of societal change. It’s a quiet drama despite its characters’ many volatile arguments. Most of all, it’s a moving character portrait of a complicated woman who makes good and bad decisions but is motivated solely by the desire to create a better life for herself and the people she loves.”

–David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter | Read More

“There is no attempt to find true restorative justice as, like the outstanding recent film Saint Omer, we see that far too much has gone wrong over the course of several years to be fixed so easily. This film is not as sharp as that, but it remains clear-eyed in the moments when it counts. It provides a snapshot of the life of one family that, for better and worse, could be any other that gets swept aside in the pursuit of a ‘safer’ world that comes at their expense.”

–Chase Hutchinson, Collider | Read More

“A Thousand and One culminates in a gutting conclusion that turns the entire movie on its head — it’s one best left entirely unspoiled — and serves as a sobering reminder of how fucked-up beginnings can hopefully bring about better endings. Cross is effective in a key scene surrounding this revelation, but it’s Taylor who anchors Rockwell’s direction and screenplay with her powerhouse performance. Taylor has worked with the likes of Tyler Perry in comedies, but it’s her seeming kinship with Rockwell (and Taylor’s own story as a New Yorker) and a performance as fiercely committed to the project as Inez is to Terry that signal a major acting talent.”

–Ryan Lattanzio, Indie Wire | Read More

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