Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Adu’ on Netflix, a Mini-Epic Drama Tying Together Three Stories Set in Africa

New on Netflix, the Spanish film Adu is an epic melodrama tying together three stories set in Africa. It’s the second feature by director Salvador Calvo (his debut was 2016 historical drama 1898: The Last of the Philippines), who shows some narrative ambition a la Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu or Paul Thomas Anderson’s we-are-all-connected features, but hopefully not too much of said ambition, since that trend fizzled more than a decade ago. So let’s see if Adu shows just the right amount of ambition.

ADU: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Melilla, a Spanish city in Morocco. Tatou (Emilio Buale), one of a large throng of immigrants attempting to climb the border fence, is tangled in razor wire and bleeding. Three civil guardsmen, Mateo (Alvaro Cervantes), Miguel (Miguel Fernandez) and Javi (Jesus Carroza) rush to the scene; two climb the fence in an attempt to free Tatou. A scuffle ensues. Miguel hits Tatou with a club, and Tatou falls to his death.

A nature reserve in Cameroon, near Mbouma. Ali (Zayiddaya Dissou) and her little brother Adu (Moustapha Oumarou) bicycle on a jungle path, stopping when they hear gunshots. They crawl through the brush and witness poachers harvesting a freshly killed elephant for its tusks. The poachers spot the kids and chase them off, but return at night intending to permanently silence them. Ali and Adu escape as their mother is killed, their first step on an arduous journey.

On the reserve, Gonzalo (Luis Tosar) is sickened by the poachers’ deeds. He’s an arrogant, entitled, rich preservationist who owns a charity organization. He finds Ali and Adu’s bike, and gives it to his daughter Sandra (Anna Castillo), who’s maybe 18 or 19. Tensions are high among Gonzalo and the other rangers, who get him ousted from the park. He goes home to Yaounde, frequently quarreling with Sandra, who’s bitter over their lengthy estrangement.

With an investigation and court case over Tatou’s death looming, Mateo ponders whether to tell the truth about Miguel’s actions or stick with their falsified story. Ali and Adu — who are maybe 10 and five years old respectively — make their way on a cross-continental journey towards Morocco, stowing away in the landing-gear compartment of a passenger plane. Gonzalo is concerned with Sandra’s propensity to stay up all night doing drugs and partying; they eventually relocate to his gated home in Morocco, where he has no photos of his daughter on the walls, but many photos of beloved elephants.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Adu is a narratively scaled-down version of Babel, Magnolia, Crash and other films with multiple storylines that just have to inevitably intersect.

Performance Worth Watching: You know how once in a while a young actor we’ve never seen before will exhibit considerable screen presence with seemingly little effort? Oumarou is one of them. Our emotional involvement with the film hinges on his ability to so naturally convey simple emotions such as innocence and despair.

Memorable Dialogue: Miguel sums up his disempathetic stance on immigration: “When the Africans see that fence, they think it says ‘You’re not welcome’… Do you know what it really means? ‘Solve your own problems.'”

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: Calvo and screenwriter Alejandro Hernandez show no interest in shoehorning pseudo-profound contrivances into Adu, much to its benefit. Its three stories intersect thematically by showing conflicts on both sides of the immigration border, and the privilege that Gonzalo’s wealth affords him. Gonzalo, frankly, has White People Problems. Mateo’s inner conflict is one of conscience, and the outcome of the trial is likely to be influenced in their favor by systemic racism — it’s essentially his word against the other witnesses, who are all immigrants.

Apropos of the movie’s title, Adu’s story is the most effective. It’s rife with danger, separations and survivalist anxiety. He meets a runaway teenage boy named Massar (Adam Nourou), who cares for him like a sibling, and their friendship bursts with warmth and vibrancy when the rest of the world offers them none of the sort. Their adventures are born of necessity, harrowing and sad, brightened by small victories. If the other two plot threads tend towards rote drama, Adu’s saga renders the film very much worth viewing.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Adu is a gorgeously photographed, thoughtfully conceived, and engrossing mini-epic.

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 Adu on Netflix