‘Coffee & Cream’, written and directed by Tre’ Marquise Mailey, does not open gently. It thrusts the viewer into panic: a desperate 911 call, a man’s world imploding as the love of his life slips away just beyond the frame. We never see her die, but the aftermath is deafening. Grief.
Drey Taylor delivers a performance steeped in grief, stripped to the bone. His portrayal of a man drowning in loss is unflinching. Cortland Gillespie’s black and white cinematography becomes the film’s emotional language. The absence of colour mirrors the void left behind.
The narrative quickly transforms into a tale of vengeance. The protagonist, consumed and directionless, reaches for violent purpose. Pulling on a balaclava, he takes his gun and stalks toward the man he holds responsible – played by Kavon Hall. Just as bloodshed seems inevitable, the film fractures. His late love appears (Lenae Ludy), not as a ghostly cliché, but as a piercing force.
In sudden bursts of colour, we see his interactions with his late lover. Her voice cuts through his spiraling mind: “Put the gun down”. She’s pulling him back from the brink.
Mailey refuses to offer neat resolution. ‘Coffee & Cream’ stares down the darkest corners of grief and revenge with unsentimental clarity. Some wounds do not close. Some battles are fought entirely within. And sometimes survival is simply choosing not to pull the trigger. A worthy watch. Well made.
