Netflix has released the official trailer for Concrete Cowboy, a coming-of-age drama starring Stranger Things‘ Caleb McLaughlin and Luther‘s Idris Elba.
Revolving around the YA novel Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri, the drama stars Caleb McLaughlin as Cole, a fifteen-year-old boy sent to live with his estranged, urban-cowboy father, played by Idris Elba. A real-life Black horsemanship community in Philadelphia, Fletcher Street Stables, serves as the inspiration for both the novel and the film.
Netflix recently released the official trailer for Concrete Cowboy after the film debuted at TIFF last September.
Netflix’s official summary for Concrete Cowboy reads:
“When 15-year-old Cole is expelled from school in Detroit, he is sent to North Philadelphia to live with Harp (Idris Elba), his estranged father. Harp finds solace in rehabilitating horses for inner-city cowboys at the Fletcher Street Stables, a real-life Black urban horsemanship community that has provided a haven for the neighborhood residents for more than 100 years. Torn between his growing respect for his father’s community and his reemerging friendship with troubled cousin Smush, Cole begins to reprioritize his life as the stables themselves are threatened by encroaching gentrification.”
Summary for Concrete Cowboy
The trailer mainly illustrates Cole’s difficulty adjusting to the subculture of the urban cowboys of North Philly. The film is simultaneously a brave attempt at correcting the misconstrued history around America’s Black cowboys. It also provides a closer look at the film’s outstanding ensemble of largely Black cast, which comprises Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight), Lorraine Toussaint (Orange Is the New Black), and rapper/actor Clifford “Method Man” Smith (Keanu).
The film also signifies the full-length directorial debut of Ricky Staub. Staub’s short film, The Cage, won the grand prize at the 2017 Heartland International Film Festival. In a 2018 interview with Philadelphia Magazine, Staub mentioned how once-and-always sexiest man alive, Elba, came on board to produce and co-star in his film. This was a conscious effort by The Suicide Squad actor to create productions that can stir up the African-American community.
Concrete Cowboy arrives on Netflix on April 2.
About Concrete Cowboy
A troubled teenager tries to connect with his estranged father in the only way he can — through his old man’s affection for horses — in Concrete Cowboy. The film offers its viewers a glimpse of the rich world of the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, a Philadelphia organisation where black locals celebrate horse-riding and build a community.
Concrete Cowboy is a 2020 American Western drama film directed by Ricky Staub, from a screenplay by Staub and Dan Walser, based upon the novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri. The film stars Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Byron Bowers, Lorraine Toussaint and Clifford “Method Man” Smith.
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