This Intense New Drama-Thriller Is Based on a Heartbreaking True Story—and It Stars 2 Mega-Famous Singers

I can honestly say it’s been a long time since a movie genuinely made me cry, but Rob Peace did exactly that when I watched it over the weekend. I must admit, I was on the fence about this film at first. I looked up the story of the real-life Rob Peace and I saw his was one of heartbreak and tragedy, and as an African- American, I’ve seen more than my fair share of traumatic stories with horrible endings (as is the case with many of us). Fortunately, I was fully convinced to see the film after chatting exclusively with the film's star, none other than rising musician and actor Jay Will, who portrays Peace. Here, the reasons I'm so glad I made this my weekend watch (and why you should too).

Rob Peace is about a brilliant young man (Will) who puts everything to the side to free his imprisoned father (who he believes is innocent) serving a life sentence for double murder. Peace is able to use his genius to get him out on a technicality…but for only about a week before the state appeals and sends him right back to prison. Not to spoil the story in its entirety, things go downhill from there. 

Perhaps I should have, but I didn't know the full story of Rob Peace before watching this film. I wasn't alone, however, because Will, apparently, wasn't too familiar either before taking the role. "Similar to you, I didn’t know who Rob Peace was," he says. "Once I got into the script, I felt like I knew this guy. This is my cousin, my uncle and my brother—I know this guy." I felt the same way when watching as Will brought a certain relatability to the role. He made me realize that Rob Peace is my cousin, uncle and brother as well. It was also an educational experience because as I just said, I had no prior knowledge of Peace’s story prior to this weekend. While he only lived to the age of 30, there was a lot packed into those years that made it a full journey.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is as good of a director as he is an actor (he directs and stars in this film), which is saying something. The way the shots and dialogue are captured make it feel as though you are right there in the room with the actors, and that adds to its presentation. "Chiwetel motivated me to just keep going further and further," Will recalls. “He asked a lot of questions and made sure I stayed curious."

There are two sides to this coin. While Will acknowledges the very real concerns about tragic experiences with the African American community, he also makes the point that Rob Peace’s story is one that deserves to be told, referring to it as a love story. "On the positive side, just to put it out there…he was brilliant," Will challenges, adding, "He was so smart, gave back to his community and everything. There is a lot of love there, but it’s tainted with the systematic stuff that caused his downfall. The duality of that combined with the spiritual elements is something that can cause heavy pressure. There is the social conditioning of not wanting to see movies like this, but that isn’t this movie.  The inner workings of what I did just to make sure his mom was content with this—this isn’t some story about a Black boy that got caught up in the streets and took a wrong turn. It’s about how we can overcome these inner demons."

Jay Will’s performance is a gripping one, with just the right amount of passion and emotion. Some of the most intense scenes are the ones that showcase the back-and-forth banter between Peace and his mother (portrayed by famous singer Mary J. Blige), in which Will says he lost himself. Another big name musician Camila Cabello does her part in in bringing the romance with her character Naya Vazquez, who tries to help Peace with his inner turmoil, but even she can only do so much unfortunately.  If you’re looking for powerful performances that check the emotional intensity box, this is a film that delivers.

Rob Peace is officially in select theaters now.

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