Written by Tyler Zucker
Donald Glover has been an unstoppable force in the past few years. From his award-winning dramedy, Atlanta, to his Grammy winning career as artist Childish Gambino, to his starring roles in blockbusters like Solo, he has been building quite the resume. On his latest project Guava Island, Glover partners with frequent collaborator Hiro Murai and pop royalty, Rihanna, to tell a short story about love and music.
The film opens with a colorfully animated prologue narrated by Kofi (Rihanna), immediately giving the story a nostalgic, almost fable-like quality. She details the island’s history of precious silk and how wherever people may go, war and love will follow. The film then moves onto the protagonist, Deni Maroon (Glover). Deni is Kofi’s boyfriend and a famed musician who plans to hold a festival for the island in an effort to bring some of the magic back to a place that has lost it to corporations.
Filmed in Cuba, the tropical landscape gives Murai the perfect backdrop to tell this tale. He films the floral, oceanic views but underneath it all, a sense of something darker lurks. Whether it be at the docks of Red Cargo–the business where many of the island inhabitants work–or in the crowds of people walking about, something just feels off. At the same time, the musical numbers with one exception are as vibrant as ever.
Murai’s background in filming Glover’s previous music videos makes capturing the musical moments here smooth and a joy to watch. When Deni sings “Summertime Magic” to his beloved Kofi, Murai captures how much she means to him. Rihanna’s chemistry with Glover is there, but as for the rest of her role, her character is simply “Deni’s girlfriend.” There are a few hints of a further plot, but the film does not lean more into it.
While Murai’s directing is impressive and the unreleased songs scattered about the 55 minute runtime do make fans eager for new music, Guava Island is not without fault. Glover’s 2018 hit “This is America” is sung in the movie but its implementation is not as effortless and smooth as the other songs. How it’s re-purposed is intriguing and well directed, but in the grand scheme of things, it feels out of place.
Glover’s acting is also notable. He sings and dances throughout the film and does have a few moments to show some range, but it’s his accent that is distracting. When we first meet him, Deni speaks with what could be described as a Jamaican or Cuban accent, but it is dropped a few scenes later. As the film progresses, the accent returns but is not the same as before.
Guava Island’s thin plot calls back to Glover’s Atlanta, which also allows him to be surreal or unpredictable in a story that seems straight forward. We know so little about the characters here, but by the film’s bitter sweet conclusion, we want to know more about them and visit the island again. Nonetheless, what the film does bring is a charming, light watch with plenty of teasers for new Gambino music.
