A Thousand and One

A Thousand and One

22/1/2023 1h 56m 6.6/10

Overview

Struggling but unapologetically living on her own terms, Inez is moving from shelter to shelter in mid-1990s New York City. With her 6-year-old son Terry in foster care and unable to leave him again, she kidnaps him so they can build their life together. As the years go by, their family grows and Terry becomes a smart yet quiet teenager, but the secret that has defined their lives threatens to destroy the home they have so improbably built.

Director

A.V. Rockwell

Top Billed Cast

Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor

Inez

Josiah Cross

Josiah Cross

Terry

William Catlett

William Catlett

Lucky

Terri Abney

Terri Abney

Kim Jones

Aven Courtney

Aven Courtney

Terry 13 Year Old

Aaron Kingsley Adetola

Aaron Kingsley Adetola

Terry 6 Years Old

Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

5/16/2023

6/10

This features quite a strong performance from a convincing Teyana Taylor. She is "Inez" who decides that she wants to reclaim her young son "Terry" from his life on the streets of New York. What now ensues illustrates quite well the difficulties they both face as they both grow up with little by way of opportunity - or money - but determined to stick together despite their not always seeing eye to eye. Along the way, she marries "Lucky" (William Catlett), a decent man who offers some stability and it begins to look like "Terry" (by this stage played by Josiah Cross, but played well as a child by Aaron Kingsley Adetola) might just have a chance. Thing is, as the audience know by now, the relationship between mother and son is not as it seems - and the impending action of the authorities, coupled with a rather unscrupulous landlord, look like the wrecking ball is en route to their dreams. It meanders a bit too much for me, this film. It could have easily lost twenty minutes and the writing could have focussed better on developing the "Terry" character a little more, but it's still quite a powerful assessment of family values, loyalty and civic indifference that ought to make anyone sit up and take notice. It doesn't need a big screen - but is worth a watch on the telly.

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