Madison (April Hale) has had a hard life. When she was young, her father (Henry E. Reaves III) was a political activist. “I can’t believe we still have to deal with racism in America! It’s the 1990s!” her mother Gina (Rekeitha Morris) exclaims at the dinner table when her younger daughter Brooke (played as a child by twins Candice and Taylor Bradburn) tells the family one of the boys at school called her the n-word. Their father is more direct. If anyone hurls slurs at his kids, he instructs them to respond immediately, with force.
But before the two sisters can grow up, their father dies under mysterious circumstances. Gina quickly remarries, but her new husband doesn’t live up to the high standards her former husband set. He’s abusive and violent, and before long, the two girls are on their own.
Madison, now an adult, struggles to keep the family home that is the girls’ only legacy from their parents. She’s gainfully employed as a beloved, but no-nonsense elementary school teacher. But with Brooke (played as a college-age student by Jessie Reeder) in school, it’s hard to make ends meet. “I just wish they would pay teachers what we’re worth!” she says to her new friend Greg (Xamon Glasper).
Don’t we all, Madison.
Greg has a potential solution to Madison’s money problems. Turns out he’s a writer with big connections. His boss Mr. Laurent (Phil Darius Wallace) runs a publishing house which specializes in true crime novels. Madison had revealed to Ben that, when she was a student at Bluff City College, she was a witness to the infamous College Town Slayings. In fact, her former beaux Ben (Dash Kennedy Williams) had been the prime suspect in the killings that took the lives of five of her classmates.
Madison has never opened up to anyone but the police about her awful college experiences. She’s had more than enough trauma for one lifetime, and she’s not too keen on dredging up bad memories for fun and profit. But then Mr. Laurent reveals exactly how much profit is on the table — it’s more than enough to save the house and ensure Brooke can finish her studies. Soon, Madison finds herself in Greg’s home office, where a sign on the wall says, “Do something today that your future self with thank you for.” Whether her future self will thank her for the tour of bad relationships, enduring mysteries, and PTSD that live in her damaged psyche is very much up in the air.
Queen Rising is an independent production made in Memphis by mostly homegrown talent. Director Princeton James is well-known on the film scene here for acting roles in Bluff City Law and short films by Mark Jones and Noah Glenn. His feature directing debut is blessed with a sizable budget (by indie world standards, anyway) and a crackerjack crew. Cinematographer Jordan Danelz makes his presence felt with impeccable lighting choices and some truly lovely frames. From the rich hues of Madison and Brooke’s Midtown bungalow to the beautiful exteriors shot at Rhodes College, this is a gorgeous film.
It certainly helps that the cast is incredibly good-looking. But Hale is more than a pretty face. She’s a prolific actor who got her start in the Indie Memphis scene with the late director Rod Pitts’ cult classic rom com What Goes Around… Hale holds down the demanding lead role with confidence, and subtly. You can always sense that her Madison knows a lot more than she’s telling, and that she’s learned to keep her mouth shut through hard experience. (I will also put in a good word for Miguela Gary, a young actor of great poise who plays Madison as a child.) Reaves, who co-wrote the screenplay with producer Allison Chaney, nails his big speech as Madison and Brooke’s father. The great Memphis actor Phil Darius Wallace slays as the mysterious publishing magnate who will either help Madison’s dreams come true or make her life a living nightmare — possibly both! James knows that all you need to do is point a camera at Wallace and he’ll take care of the rest.
Queen Rising’s ambitious script rushes some beats, and details vital to the twisty plot breeze by very fast. But there’s no question that this entertaining work shows James’ and the rest of the team’s great potential. This is a Memphis film that punches way above its weight.
Queen Rising
Now playing
Multiple locations
