Big things often come from small beginnings or so we’ve been told. So we were happy to pull out our magnifying glasses to check out the much-discussed trailer for Guava Island, which co-stars Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), and Rihanna.
Glover premiered the approximately two-minute trailer at his Pharos festival in New Zealand on Saturday. The fest itself had mixed reviews, but at least one concertgoer managed to catch the premiere of the Guava Island trailer on her camera phone, giving us a glimpse of what to expect when the film debuts in 2019.
Reportedly filmed in Havana, Cuba, and directed by longtime Glover collaborator Hiro Murai, who has directed most episodes of Atlanta as well as the “This Is America” video, the trailer opens with Glover singing and strumming guitar as Rihanna, giving her best relaxed island vibe as his onscreen girlfriend, listens. We’re not entirely sure about the details of the plot, but as Glover’s character says in a voiceover:
“We live in paradise but none of us actually have the time or the means to live here.” (Sounds like a whole lot of places I know, tbh.)
That’s about as relaxed as it gets, as the remainder of the scenes seem to capture Glover in a madcap race against time, thwarting child bandits, navigating a Caribbean or Brazilian-style carnival, being kidnapped and encountering costars Letitia Wright and Nonso Anozie along the way. Frankly, at first glance, the whole thing feels a little Black Orpheus. If so, we’re here for that.
Of course, we’ll have to see more before we decide if Guava Island is a must-see for 2019—preferably in a larger format, next time?