What does a 4th-century AD ascetic monk living out in the desert near Egypt have to do with a modern-day murderous gangbanger? More than you might think — or so claims the new film, Moses the Black, a collaboration between director Yelena Popovic and hip-hop mogul/film producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Popovic’s prior film, 2021’s Man of God, was a pious exploration of the final years of Eastern Orthodox saint Nektarios of Aegina. Moses the Black similarly explores what threaten to be the last days of a gangster, but thanks to the involvement of Jackson and fellow rappers like Wiz Khalifa and Quavo, any air of piousness quickly gives way to something far more gritty.
Moses the Black follows the story of drug lord Malik (Omar Epps), who is recently released from prison and looking to take revenge on the rival who murdered his best friend. His deeply religious grandmother begs him to use his newfound freedom to find God and change his ways, but as Malik explains, “People that own the world ain’t got time for paradise.” However, knowing she is nearing the end of her life, the elderly woman insists Malik at least accept a holy card with the image of Moses the Black, which he does out of respect for the woman who raised him.
Following his grandmother’s funeral, at which he barely survives a drive-by shooting, Malik begins to have dreams of Moses the Black in which he witnesses the saint’s life play out. For those who have kept up with Martin Scorsese’s television series The Saints, the tale that unfolds in these flashbacks should be very familiar.
Moses spent his youth enslaved but was banished for committing murder. Taking to crime, he would eventually lead a band of robbers that terrorized the Nile Valley. At some point, needing a place to lay low, Moses sought refuge in a desert monastery. This exposure to the monks’ Christian kindness and contemplative existence worked on Moses’ conscience, eventually leading him to join the order. Sadly, his past sins finally caught up with him, as word came that another band of robbers was coming to ransack the monastery. Allowing his brothers time to retreat, Moses stayed behind to meet the bandits peacefully, even though he knew it would mean his own death. Because of his example following his conversion, the Orthodox now venerate Moses as the patron saint of non-violence.
The parallels between the saint’s life and his own are not lost on Malik, and as his predecessor did before him, the gangster begins to feel the pangs of conscience. Malik is in deep, though, and there may be no way out that doesn’t involve bloodshed. That last point is an important one for audiences who might be looking for a standard faith-based offering to watch in theaters. Moses the Black does not try to sanitize the gangsta lifestyle. There’s copious violence, drug use, and lewd sexual innuendo on display, and the language alone guarantees the film is unlikely to show up on outlets like Pure Flix. This is purposeful, however, as producer Jackson lived a life not too unlike that of the character of Malik before entering the music industry, and likely would not want the film to feel inauthentic.
Authenticity isn’t the movie’s only strength. While one or two of the supporting performances could stand to be toned down a bit, Omar Epps' turn as the tortured Malik is serious, understated, and believable. The film is also successful in communicating the way Christians often find inspiration and guidance in the lives of the great saints, turning to them and their stories in times of need. It’s not just the saints with a capital “S” that matter, though. The character of Malik’s grandmother is a prime example of how one Christian’s act of love can have profound impacts on a person’s life, even if they don’t live long enough to ever see those impacts themselves. So, for those in the mood for a faith-tinged story that isn’t afraid to be a little rough around the edges, Moses the Black should do nicely.
Moses the Black is in theaters now.
Read about the saint below:
