Sleight
A street magician uses his powers to survive.
Sleight is a 2016 American superhero drama film directed by J. D. Dillard and co-written with Alex Theurer. The film follows a young street magician in Los Angeles who uses a homemade electromagnet built into his arm to control metal, while turning to drug dealing to support his younger sister. It premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically in 2017 by WWE Studios and Blumhouse Tilt.
Quick Facts
- Director
- J. D. Dillard
- Producer
- Eric B. Fleischman · Sean Tabibian · Alex Theurer
- Writer
- J. D. Dillard · Alex Theurer
- Starring
- Jacob Latimore · Seychelle Gabriel · Sasheer Zamata · Storm Reid · Cameron Esposito · Dulé Hill
- Music
- Charles Scott IV
- Cinematography
- Ed Wu
- Editing
- Joel Griffen
- Studio
- Diablo Entertainment
- Distributor
- WWE Studios · BH Tilt
- Released
- 23 January 2016 · Sundance Film Festival · 2017 · 4 · 28 · United States
- Runtime
- 89 minutes
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film centers on Bo Wolfe, a young street magician in Los Angeles who cares for his little sister Tina after their parents' deaths. By day, Bo performs magic tricks, specializing in controlling metal through an electromagnet he built into his arm for a science fair project. By night, he sells drugs to pay the bills, working for a supplier named Angelo. When a new kingpin undercuts their turf, Angelo forces Bo to find him, leading Bo to pickpocket a dealer's phone and discover the supplier is Maurice. Angelo then invades Maurice's home and forces Bo to chop off Maurice's hand.
Reader's Guide
Sleight is notable for blending superhero and street-level crime drama on a micro-budget of $250,000, grossing $4 million worldwide. The film received generally positive reviews, with an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 62, indicating favorable reception. Its critical consensus praised it as a smart, well-acted subversion of genre norms. The film premiered at Sundance in 2016 and was distributed by WWE Studios and BH Tilt, marking an early feature for director J. D. Dillard. The soundtrack, released by Lakeshore Records, includes original score by Charles Scott IV and tracks by various artists.
Did You Know?
- The film's budget was $250,000 and it grossed $3.9 million worldwide.
- Bo Wolfe's electromagnet was first developed for a science fair project.
- The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016.
- The cast includes Dulé Hill, Storm Reid, and Sasheer Zamata.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the main character in Sleight?
The story centers on a teenage street magician in Los Angeles who builds a crude electromagnet into his own arm to manipulate metal objects. He balances performing magic tricks on the streets with selling drugs to keep his younger sister fed and safe.
What powers does the protagonist have in Sleight?
His ability comes from a homemade electromagnet he built and embedded in his forearm, letting him attract and move metallic items at will. He uses this for both his street-magic act and for practical survival in his neighborhood.
Who directed and wrote the film Sleight?
J. D. Dillard directed the movie and co-wrote the screenplay with Alex Theurer. It debuted at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival before a 2017 theatrical run distributed by WWE Studios and Blumhouse Tilt.
Why is Sleight important for Black superhero stories?
It stands out as a low-budget, independent superhero film that places a Black teenage protagonist at the center of a story about poverty, family duty, and finding identity outside the traditional comic-book framework. Its Sundance premiere and modest $3.9 million worldwide box-office run demonstrated an audience for grounded, character-driven superhero narratives from Black creators.
More in African-American superhero films 1-21
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