Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Street Flow’ on Netflix, an Earnest Drama About Brothers Struggling in the French Suburbs

Street Flow — or Banlieusards in its native French — arrives on Netflix amidst a typical mass content evacuation, and it certainly deserves a little more fanfare. It’s the vision of prolific hip-hop artist Kery James, who writes, co-directs and stars. The film is set in Paris, one of its crime-ridden suburbs and the spaces in-between — hence its French title, which translates to “commuters.” Those looking for some earnest drama as an alternative to superhero and horror fodder may want to start here.

STREET FLOW: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: This is the story of the Traore brothers, the youngest generation of Malian immigrants living in a low-income project in a Parisian suburb. Demba (Kery James) is the oldest, a drug dealer with a lucrative, and obviously risky business. Soulaymann (Jammeh Diangana) is a studious type, excelling in law school. Noumouke (Bakary Diombera) is a high-schooler who leans towards trouble, idolizing Demba, who boasts a fancy car and wad of cash in his pocket. Their mother, Khadijah (Kani Diarra), isn’t just sickly, but worried sick too; their father passed away years prior.

Soulaymann takes the commuter train to Paris daily for classes, and hurries back to the outskirts to tutor elementary-school students. He preps for an oral debate against Lisa (Chloe Jouannet), who will argue that the state is failing its most vulnerable citizens, while Soulaymann defends the government, crafting an argument counter to his own reality; they kindle a light romance.

Meanwhile, Noumouke gets expelled for accidentally decking a teacher during a gym-class scuffle. He asks Dembe for money, who lectures him to stop asking for handouts and find a way to get it — so he and a classmate swipe a stack of cash from the apartment of one of Dembe’s dealer rivals. As trouble brews, Khadijah suffers a stroke, and the film comes to a dramatic head. Will Dembe end his estrangement from his mother? Will Noumouke continue his downward trajectory? Can Soulaymann hold his family together and stay focused on his studies?

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: This movie might not exist without the precedent set by The Wire, which zeroed in on similar socio-political themes. And a news report about a heat wave in the opening scene feels like a Do the Right Thing reference.

Performance Worth Watching: Street Flow puts the brunt of its dramatic weight on Diangana, whose performance never fails to be authentic or steadfast in its sincerity.

Memorable Dialogue: “Didn’t I tell you to punch first?” Demba says, giving Noumouke some dubious advice.

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: James and co-director Leila Sy nurture their story’s authenticity, and present it with a touch of visual poetry. The result isn’t flashy, but well-grounded and focused on some uniformly strong performances. The narrative can be a little contrived — Lisa and Soulaymann arguing points opposite to their backgrounds is some on-the-nose irony — but the characters are so lovingly and thoughtfully written, you’ll forgive the film its flaws. These are complex people facing real-world problems, and there are no easy answers.

Street Flow — a terrible English title; why not just call it Commuters? — builds to a showy climactic set piece: Lisa and Soulaymann’s debate, which sums up the movie’s socially progressive themes a little too tidily, but it’s nonetheless entertaining. James probably should have stopped there, because the final scenes are overly melodramatic, and the film would be just as good without them.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Street Flow is a strong drama, rooted in realism and fueled by empathy. Don’t let it slip by unnoticed.

Your Call:

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.

Stream Street Flow on Netflix