Small Axe - Education (2020) Review

After 5 weeks of films we are finally here for the final film in Director Steve McQueen's Small Axe collection Education and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a black school child who is struggling sent to a school for special needs despite having any special learning needs. 

Main Character

Youngster Kenyah Sandy plays Kingsley our main character here and I thought he did a good job. I felt sorry for Stanley, you see he struggles with school and he doesn't exactly have the best role models and influences in teachers and friends so you want him to really get better in terms of both. You see how he is being stalled because of the lack of aid and Sandy does a really good job in showing how Kingsley is bright and if steered on the right path can achieve good things and he just needs help. 

Supporting Characters

The rest of the cast are also good in this film. Sharlene Whyte is really good as his mother and the whole of the family are really interesting and feel like a really close family. You like these people and support the cause that they are fighting for and it really helps in making this film feel better then some of the other Small Axe films. 

Story 

The story is handled well, you do really sympathise with Kingsley and want to see him succeed in his life and during this film. As the film goes on you see how this whole situation affects him and it just isn't fair to see this child suffer for not really any reason other then the fact he is Black and the film does a good job with that. But this film seems to skip over some of the crucial plot points, the film looks at the institutional racism but not enough and it feels like a background thing and the film just rushes through it towards a slower end. 

Script

The script is okay it has some decent humour and drama, I thought the chemistry between Kingsley and his sister was fun to watch and a nice part of the film. But the film doesn't really ever hit the levels that you expect from the narrative, again I feel like if the film was longer it would have had the chance to do this but it missed its chance really. 

Style 

The film's style feels pretty gritty and real. You see the situation that Kingsley is in and it really makes it feel like he is having his young life taken away from him and it feels pretty serious and the way the film is made reflects that. But then again this film is way too short, I felt like this film needed a length similar to Mangrove to fully tell its story and really add depth and context to the film and really rise it to the next level. 

Overall

Overall, this is a good film that looks how these serious subject can affect children and how it can affect their lives. It has its flaws but is a decent experience and is only an hour long so won't take too much of your time to watch. 

Rating - 7/10