HCA Gradebook: “A Thousand and One”

Movie: A Thousand and One
Plot: ​​A Thousand and One follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps her six-year-old son Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
Cast: Teyana Taylor, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, and Aaron Kingsley Adetola.
Director: A.V. Rockwell
Release Date: March 31, 2023
Studio: Focus Features
Number of Graders: 21
Overall Grade: A-

Kay-B says, “A Thousand And One is an exceptional film, great performances especially Teyanas, and deeply layered storytelling. Best film of Sundance 2023!”
Grade: A+

Nikki Fowler says, “A Thousand and One was a mesmerizing body of work with beautiful storytelling capturing 90s Harlem with every intricate detail, encompassing outstanding writing, direction and production. The editing, color, cinematography and score were superb. As someone who knows Harlem it was a deep and soulful love letter to Black people, especially Black women in all of those intricate details and tragedies in life that sometimes seem too vast to try to fix, including the political climate, and shows the intrinsic power to keep moving. A Thousand and One captures that movement and that dance through life that sometimes in bias appears wounded, flatlined and undeserving, and shows the intricate layers of love, compassion, empathy, survival and pure excellence. Teyana Taylor is phenomenal and I expected nothing less. Cast performances across the board were incredible.”
Grade: A+

Catalina Combs says, “It was a powerful glimpse into the Black experience. It was a touching and gripping story about life and how hard it is. A truly exceptional film. It really played with the idea of family, while also skimming the surface of many topical subjects like gentrification and the foster care system. Amazing casting. Really well written. The pacing allowed the story to really sink its teeth into you.”
Grade: A

Jillian Chilingerian says, “A Thousand and One is a soul-shattering film about the daily struggles of marginalized communities in a system that is designed to keep them down. A.V. Rockwell finds the complex beauty of these layered characters that are seeking redemption.”
Grade: A

Kolby Mac says, “Theres A Thousand And One reasons to love this film. AV Rockwells storytelling & direction. Teyanas Ferocity. Wills tenderness. Josiahs vulnerability. The Dope Score. The Framing and flavor of NY and its impact on this family. This movie is HOME and Ive got a Thousand and  more reasons to tell you why!”
Grade: A

James White says, “While melancholy at times, A Thousand And One is a thoughtful, sensitive and beautiful testament to the power of people overcoming their situation — trying and failing to battle a system weighted against them. It’s a tribute to the power of parenthood no matter how damaged or challenged and a painful look at New York’s changing face via gentrification and how it affects those who stand to least benefit from it. A.V. Rockwell’s direction is superb, and Teyana Taylor makes for a captivating lead. The changing time periods and growing son storyline bring to mind Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, but Rockwell’s film is entirely its own thing.”
Grade: A-

Ema Sasic says, “A Thousand and One is a deeply emotional and moving story that takes viewers on a multi-year journey with a mother fighting for the best life for her son. The ride is full of surprises along the way, but always manages to tug at one’s heartstrings, particularly during the third act. Teyana Taylors performance is incredible as she channels every emotion so beautifully and powerfully. The three actors who play her son, Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney and Josiah Cross) all do phenomenal work capturing the struggles this young boy faces with family members throughout his life. A Thousand and One is also a great city movie, in that it drops people directly in Harlem in the 1990s/early 2000s and explores all the changes that come with governmental bodies and advancing times.”
Grade: A-

Kit Stone says, “Teyana Taylor delivers a moving performance in A.V. Rockwell’s #AThousandAndOne. She’s stripped down, vulnerable, honest, and unlike we’ve been able to see her before. Harlem serves as an added character in this drama and aids in putting us not only in this time and place, but within the family dynamic of this household. It helps us not just to watch the story but to feel it. It’s an absolute must-see.”
Grade: A-

Sara Clements says, “A Thousand and One is a fantastic, arresting debut about damaged people trying to create a better world for those they love. Teyana Taylor delivers a standout performance as a mother whose secrets threaten to derail her family. Stunning 90s-style cinematography captures a changing Harlem.”
Grade: A-

Zachary Pope says, “A Thousand and One will shatter your heart & with a third act mic drop that completely changes the story it only becomes more devastating. A strong debut from A.V ROCKWELL! Teyana Taylor is stellar, William Catlett changes the dynamic, & Josiah Cross is the heart of it all.”
Grade: A-

Rasha Goel says, “A story that will leave you feeling all types of emotions and tug at your heart. Teyana Taylor beautifully takes us through the journey of love and a bond with a child while trying to manage the difficulties of life. The story intricately weaves the determination to keep a fractured family together while dealing with the gentrification of New York City. All three of the actors playing Terry, her son, do a great job in capturing the pain of a child who grows accustomed to disappointment at a young age and remains constantly on the alert for something that may grow wrong.”
Grade: A-

Monica Gleberman says, “A Thousand and One is a beautiful take on the love between a mother and her son. This film is small but mighty and reiterates the importance of never giving up. It’s an emotional watch and you spend a significant amount of time watching a mother fight to make sure her son has everything he needs, the best possible life. The struggles can be hard to watch but the acting is real and hits you to the core of your soul. The film manages to take a story that could be deemed predictable and throw in some moments that even surprise the most critical viewer. It’s a wonderful film.”
Grade: A-

Ricky Valero says, “A Thousand And One is a powerful debut by A.V. Rockwell. A beautiful and tender script about family, a city and love. A beautiful story of family, a city, and love. The entire film is deeply rooted in love especially with how it was made. Teyana Taylor is mesmerizing and gives a heartbreaking performance.”
Grade: A-

David Bax says, “A.V. Rockwell’s first feature length film is a tender melodrama that pairs its mother/son drama with a chronicle of a changing New York City at the turn of the 21st century to illuminate how massive changes happen gradually. Teyana Taylor is fantastic in the lead role.”
Grade: B+

Jami Philbrick says, “Strong drama that in telling one mother and son’s story, also chronicles the modern history of New York City. Visionary direction by A.V. Rockwell, and great performances from Teyana Taylor, Josiah Cross and Will Catlett.”
Grade: B+

Nicholas Spake says, “An ending can change your perception of the movie you just watched. A Thousand and One, which won Sundances Grand Jury Prize, throws a curveball during its third act that presents the characters in a new light. And yet, the characters still stay true to themselves. While the film doesnt justify the actions of one character, it does leave you asking, “Did they do the right thing?” Im not sure, but any film that conjures such conflicted feelings is doing something right. As challenging as A.V. Rockwells feature directorial debut can be, its ultimately a rewarding film about motherhood and the extreme lengths a maternal figure will go to.”
Grade: B+

Tom O’Brien says, “Sundance Festival winner A Thousand and One, director A.V. Rockwell’s debut feature, takes on a subject rarely explored in film these days — Black motherhood. Newly sprung from Rikers Island, Inez (a heartbreaking Teyana Taylor) reunites with her young son Terry who is now in foster care, and she impulsively decides to abduct him so they can stay together. The film follows their life from 1994 to 2005, where mother and son must endure the zero-tolerance years of Mayor Giuliani and the ever-increasing gentrification that has begun to change the nature of their Harlem neighborhood forever. The film’s stumbles slightly in its third act, but Taylor’s performance crackles from start to finish.”
Grade: B+

Zoë Rose Bryant says, “A Thousand and One is an achingly authentic look at one mother and son straining against the system to stay afloat – and stay together. Writer-director A.V. Rockwell infuses her story with soulful sincerity, and Teyana Taylors tender and tenacious lead turn is nothing short of tremendous. One of the finest films of the year so far.”
Grade: B+

Dan Murrell says, “Writer/director A.V. Rockwell bursts onto the scene in her feature debut, which snagged the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year, with an affecting story about a mother’s love and just how far she will go to make a life for her son. Teyana Taylor gives a grounded, naturalistic performance as Inez, whose life is constantly held together at the seams as she takes desperate measures to prove that she can provide for her son Terry. The role of Terry is taken on by three actors who do great work but it’s Josiah Cross, who plays Terry in the third act of the film, who brings the story to a powerful conclusion and marks himself as an actor to watch. While it’s not as splashy as Sundance winners of the past, A Thousand and One is an intimate look at a life that most people never experience, but that a heartbreaking number of people live every day.”
Grade: B

Erik Anderson says, “A.V. Rockwell’s debut struggles with unevenness and an ending that doesn’t quite stick but Teyana Taylor is such a powerful force that she pushes through it with astonishing grit and fortitude in a character study of Black motherhood we rarely see.”
Grade: B

Peggy Marie says, “A Thousand and One is a bit disjointed, leaving a lot of questions unanswered as it jumps timeframes. What is does do is represeent Harlem perfectly in the 90’s, with a grand performance from Teyana Taylor.”
Grade: C+