J.D. Dillard’s film “Sleight” tells the story of a young man with an affinity for the art of illusion attempting to make a better life for himself and his sister.
After a successful festival run, “Sleight,” directed by J.D. Dillard, is preparing for a national theatrical release this weekend. The film’s star Jacob Latimore said that the magic extends well beyond the tricks performed by his character.
“We shot this movie in 16 days,” Latimore said. “When I first saw the movie, I was almost scared. I was like, ‘J, why does this look so good?’ He was like, ‘I don’t know.’ When you shoot a movie that fast, you’re kind of like, ‘I hope we got it.’ And I really feel like we did. We’re proud of how the puzzle came together.”
Latimore plays Bo, a young street magician with goals of making a name for himself in the field before family tragedy forced him to put his aspirations aside and make ends meet by any means necessary.
“If we took out the magic in the movie and the effects, I think we would still have a very relatable story,” Latimore said. “We would have just a young kid trying to make a way for his family. I tried to keep focusing on that while we were filming. I wanted Bo to feel absolutely real. I wanted it to feel like this character lives in our neighborhoods.”
Push comes to shove more than once for Bo as he tries to navigate a world that has forced him to have to make adult decisions while most young people his age are living carefree and easy.
“I didn’t want to do a movie where I stick my chest out with a big ‘S’ on it,” Latimore said. “I wanted it to be real. I wanted him to be vulnerable and conflicted. I related to the family aspect most and I really just tried to cling on to that and let the rest be what it was.”
At only 20 years old, Latimore has some impressive credits as a singer, dancer and actor. He most recently starred alongside Will Smith in “Collateral Beauty.”
“Sometimes I feel like I’ve been doing this for so long, because I started so young,” Latimore said. “I just go one project at a time and I’m like, ‘Okay, God, what’s next? What’s after this?”
Latimore just released his debut album “Connection” in December and will be among the ensemble in the upcoming film “Detroit” that includes John Boyega, Anthony Mackie and Laz Alonso. He’s currently on location filming a television series, “The Chi,” produced by Common.
“It’s sort of a day in the life of a lot of Chicago families,” Latimore said about the 10-episode series set to air on Showtime. “This is probably one of my edgiest roles, and I’m excited to offer this other side of where I can go on screen.”
In the meantime, he’s thrilled about having an alternative angle to the traditional “boy in the ‘hood” film format.
“I want people to have an open mind with this movie,” Latimore said. “I think it’s a great time for creativity, and people want to see something not so traditional – people can push the envelope and go outside the box as far as the standard movie. I’m excited for people to see it, and I can’t wait until Friday.”
Sleight opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, April 28. The film is rated R with a run time of 90 minutes.
