Yale University graduate Rob Peace, known as Shaun at the time his father was arrested for crimes he may not have committed, turns to drug dealing in order to get his father out of jail while maintaining other activities.[6]
In January 2019, it was announced that Ejiofor would direct the film (after Antoine Fuqua and his wife Lela saw his directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind).[15][16] In February 2020, it was announced that Stephan James would play Peace and Ejiofor would play Peace's father.[9]
In January 2023, it was announced that Jay Will would be cast as Peace.[7] In February 2023, it was announced that Mary J. Blige was cast as Peace's mother, Jackie. Blige also serves as the executive producer of the film.[8] Later in February 2023, it was announced that Camila Cabello was also cast in the film.[10]
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2024.[17] In May 2024, Republic Pictures, which is also handling worldwide sales, acquired North American distribution rights to the film, scheduling it for a limited theatrical release in the United States across 500 theaters on August 16, 2024.[18] The film began streaming on Netflix on November 11, 2024.[19]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of 52 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Chiwetel Ejiofor acquits himself well as a writer-director with Rob Peace, a solid and steady drama that enlivens standard clichés with compelling performances."[20]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[21]
