Set in the East Bay, Kicks a independent film directed and written by Bay Area local Justin Tipping, is the story of a young man’s journey to gain acceptance and social status while navigating a tumultuous road paved with violence and hyper masculinity.
Brandon (JahKing Guillory) wants nothing more to be one of the cool guys. Raised in a single-parent home, money is stretched as far as possible and accoutrements like fly sneakers and the latest gear are low on the priority scale. Desperately craving attention and admiration from the ladies, Brandon makes the decision to use the proceeds of years of saved up birthday money, candy bar sales and a number of odd jobs to splurge on a pair of rare Air Jordans.
Reborn in his newly acquired Kicks, Brandon starts receiving the attention he desires and watches his overall social status elevate not only at school but in the streets. After a brief period of euphoria, his life is forever changed when he’s attacked by neighborhood thugs that beat him to a pulp and steal his sneakers. Frustrated and angry, Brandon takes a stand to get back what’s his by any means.
Flanked by friends Rico (Christopher Meyer) and Albert (Christopher Jordan Wallace, son of the late Notorious B.I.G) Brandon rides a long, dangerous road in the hopes of not only retrieving his stolen Jordans but to affirm his place in the hood as a young man who isn’t afraid.
Based on Tipping’s own 16-year-old violent experience the East Bay, where neighborhood thugs jumped him leaving him with two black eyes, the incident served as a sort of an unfortunate right of passage when instead of receiving sympathy from his peers he’d reassured that he’s now “a man.”
BSO GRADE: B-
KICKS is in theaters now. To find local listings, click HERE.