Laundry

Directed by Zamo Mkhwanazi, Laundry details the trials and tribulations of a black family living within apartheid South Africa in the late 1960s. It’s promising subject matter that’s employed to perpetually underwhelming effect by Mkhwanazi, as the filmmaker, armed with her own screenplay, delivers a simplistic and often didactic drama that’s rarely, if ever, able to become as engrossing or compelling as its setup might’ve indicated – with the less-than-enthralling atmosphere heightened by Gabriel Lobos’ flat visuals and a series of decent-yet-far-from-spectacular performances. The lackluster vibe ultimately diminishes the impact of the admittedly eye-opening atmosphere and smattering of engaging digressions (eg a central character is forced to make a devastating choice), and while the incredibly grim finale is almost impressive in its audaciousness, Laundry, by and large, comes off as an earnest and well-intentioned misfire that feels like it should be so much more gripping and memorable.

** out of ****