Reefa

Reefa has its heart in the right place. It tries to develop Reefa’s character authentically, and the whole movie rests on him. Tyler Dean Flores does an admirable job. We are also treated to a wonderful supporting performance by Margarita Rosa de Francisco, who plays Reefa’s mother. Dornbusch devotes a lot of the film to developing Reefa’s humanity and uses Reefa’s relationship with Frankie (Clara McGregor) as a vehicle for giving insight into his worldview. He takes Frankie sightseeing through Miami, teaches her how to skateboard, about art, and even throws in some life lessons.

“Tyler Dean Flores does an admirable job.”

Where it fails is in the script. The dialogue is often bland. At one point, Reefa tells Frankie, “Graffiti is the voice for people who aren’t heard.” The irony is that Frankie’s character is one-dimensional; her voice is never clearly heard, she is an empty canvas onto which Reefa projects lessons. We are left with a script in which the protagonist mansplains and spouts off “wisdom” but not much else. Frankie is just an eager student, desperate to soak in every banal thought Reefa speaks. She has no agency of her own or definable traits. The cop that interrupts Reefa’s bright future could have also been developed a lot more. More robust character development would have certainly made his act all the more brutal.

Reefa is worth seeing. The film gives an example of the real-world ripple effect caused by police brutality. It makes us question just how non-lethal so-called “non-lethal weapons” truly are. It makes us aware that police brutality against minorities is far from being a recent phenomenon. Reefa’s case occurred in 2013. It was covered extensively by local news in Miami. Decades ago, these stories stayed local. Today they are sources for global movements. Reefa’s final project was going to be his “magnum opus.” We can only sadly reflect upon how many more magnum opuses were needlessly erased by police brutality.