This low-budget indie episodic about a botched robbery in New York City’s Bronx and Harlem combines signature gangster appeal with a low-down ghetto existence where every other word is “n***a,” which could apply to any character in Ain’t No Luv, adding to the irony.
Reel, the narrator and main character, offers insight and intros to his group of friends, his gang, with whom he planned a heist that fell apart over missing loot, a dead police officer, and dissension among them. At the root of it all—evil and problems, including Reel’s current issues—is money: it’s been lost, and everyone wants their cut and wonders what is going on.
“At the root of it all—evil and problems, including Reel’s current issues—is money: it’s been lost, and everyone wants their cut and wonders what is going on.”
Reel and D. Boog are the stars of Ain’t No Luv, which is gritty and tough yet maintains a fluid style for its subject matter. Although the sound quality is a little rough and the lighting subpar, authentic locations, conversations, and a decent editing pace create an appeal that keeps you engaged until the end to find out what happened and how. An original soundtrack enhances the genre and story, providing another layer of time and place, as well as a sense of gang culture.
Ain’t No Luv features a lot of chattering and standing around on corners, sitting in cars, or at a table, where the talk centers on what’s not happening. Yet it all comes back to paranoia, greed, and betrayal among lifelong friends, even though it appears everyone is bonded forever.
Although some of the conversation is hard to understand, the general idea of low-level gangsters adds a bit of humor amid the seriousness and offers a bird’s-eye view of modern-day life on the streets of the Bronx and Harlem. If it happens, new episodes of Ain’t No Luv have the potential to go in many interesting directions.
"…new episodes of Ain’t No Luv have the potential to go in many interesting directions."
