While Till may have been shut out when it comes to Oscar nominations, it doesn’t take away from the performances of its cast. Danielle Deadwyler has received the bulk of the attention, for good reason, but her co-star, Jalyn Hall, shouldn’t be overlooked. Hall, who played Emmett Till in the film, is an actor to watch, and people know it. That bodes well for the actor’s upcoming Hulu drama, Bruiser, an exploration of how a young Black man can be impacted by their father, family, and toxic masculinity.
Hall is joined by an incredibly talented cast that includes Shamier Anderson (Stowaway), Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), and Shinelle Azoroh (Don’t Let Go). The film is directed and co-written by Miles Warren, having begun life as a short film that premiered at Sundance.
Here’s the synopsis: In director Miles Warren’s searing feature debut about fathers, families and the effects of toxic masculinity, 14-year-old Darious (Jalyn Hall) explores the boundaries of his manhood through tumultuous interactions with Malcolm (Shamier Anderson), his strict but loving father, and Porter (Trevante Rhodes), a charismatic drifter. When Darious learns Porter’s true identity, he is thrust into a conflict between the two men that may rip his family apart and threaten his safety. The film stars Trevante Rhodes as Porter, Shamier Anderson as Malcolm, Shinelle Azoroh as Monica and Jalyn Hall as Darious.
Bruiser is also the first narrative feature film from Onyx Collective, the Disney label designed for projects from filmmakers of color. They acquired Questlove’s Oscar-winning doc Summer of Soul, and obviously they hope to find that kind of success here, too.
Hulu will stream Bruiser exclusively on February 24th.
