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Throughout cinema’s history, gangster life has often been depicted in glamorous fashion with an endless access to drugs, guns, women, sports cars, and mansions. Even if these lives are short-lived, filmmakers have long venerated their excess, and one glance at popular culture confirms audiences have reciprocated the fascination. For the characters of Dayveon, however, this way of life is grounded in economic necessity. With the ensemble of mostly non-actors never less than utterly convincing, Amman Abbasi’s debut drama is captivating in its immediacy. Ahead of a release this week, we’re pleased to debut an exclusive clip thanks to FilmRise.

“Utilizing a 4:3 ratio, cinematographer Dustin Lane takes a page from the Robbie Ryan handbook with his symmetrical framing and vibrant color palette reminiscent of the films of Andrea Arnold, finding beauty in both the Arkansas skyline and the black bodies that command the frame,” I said in my review. “A hyper-stylized effect is also used, perhaps overly so, which with its sped-up frame-rate and over-blown colors gives the impression of a home movie. Often shooting from the hip as the camera weaves in and out of conversations, our perspective is embedded into the life of Dayveon, strengthening our empathy for his situation.”

Check out the clip below for the film executive produced by David Gordon Green and James Schamus.

Struggling with his older brother’s death, 13-year-old Dayveon (newcomer Devin Blackmon) spends the sweltering summer days roaming around his rural Arkansan town. With no parents and few role models, he soon falls in with the local gang. Though his sister’s boyfriend tries to provide stability and comfort as a reluctant father figure, Dayveon becomes increasingly drawn into the camaraderie and violence of his new world.

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Dayveon opens on September 13 in New York and LA and will expand in the coming weeks.

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