The world of drug addiction takes on a whole new level of violence in this thriller from Morocco Vaughn.
In the mean streets of Chicago, Mollywood is a popular club amongst the young crowd. It is also a place where the crowd deals in drugs, including some of the latest. However, a mysterious stranger has appeared, and he has created a new drug called “Oz”. The drug is more potent than anything seen on the markets. However, the drug is only a set-up as this mysterious stranger, Chase, is actually a serial killer who is targeting the drug addicts, first getting them high before he does the deed of killing them via overdose or butchering them.
With bodies popping up near Mollywood and other parts of the area, former detective Zack is hired to take on the case. Zack himself has a grudge against drug dealers as his brother had died of a drug overdose. As Zack makes his way through the investigation, Chase continues his killing spree, targeting people at random. Zack begins to confront some of the other local dealers in town, notably Bijou, who is believed to be the one responsible for his brother’s death. Can Chase be stopped, and will Zack be able to hold his composure, or will he let his brother’s rage jeopardize his job once again?
Morocco Vaughn makes his feature film directorial debut with this dark thriller revolving around the world of drugs and their consequences but what is interesting is that Vaughn and screenwriter Ken Hoyd crafted a film that revolves around both a serial killer and the cop who is hired to take on the case as both are affected by the use of drugs today in their own ways and yet in an interesting move, there isn’t so much a protagonist, but rather an antagonist and more of an anti-hero.
Micah Fitzgerald’s Chase is a very interesting character who serves as the narrator of the film. The reason is that Chase is a notorious serial killer who targets drug users through a process. He has created a new synthetic drug which he calls Oz, sells it to various addicts and dealers who then sell the drug to addicts. He has the buyer follow a set of rules but once the drug kicks in, that’s when Chase strikes and shows his true intention. To him, killing the addicts is a way to cleanse the drug riddled problems that plague the city.
Vinicius Machado’s Zack, like Chase, hates the world of drugs because his brother has died as a result. Zack let his anger cost him his job but when the body count starts to rise, the police know that Zack has a major grudge and could be the only one capable of finding out who and why. In his opening scene, Zack is specifically told not to veer off to the level of criminals but to do things by the book. Of course, with a sense of revenge on his mind, there are times when Zack find himself having to go unorthodox to get answers. His grudge against local dealer Bijou, played by rap artist Waka Flocka Flame, plays an important plot in the film with Flame bringing a sometimes over the top performance in the role of the drug dealer while Billy Dec’s Rush plays an important piece in the Chase portion of the film despite Rush not knowing Chase’s true ordeals.
Mollywood looks at the world of drug addiction from two perspectives and connects them quite well. The serial killer and the cop stories work out interestingly and shows there aren’t exactly good guys and bad guys, but those who handle stopping the addictions in their own manners. A pretty good debut for director Vaughn.
WFG RATING: B
Momentum Pictures and Conduit Productions present a Conduit Produtions/10 Brooken Entertainement production. Director: Morocco Vaughn. Producer: Seneca Lester. Writer: Ken Hoyd. Cinematography: Camrin Petramale. Editing: Kevin Christopher.
Cast: Vinicius Machado, Micah Fitzgerald, Billy Dec, Waka Flocka Flame, London on Da Track, Arianna Lexus, Anastasia Zorin, Harold Dennis, Max Helm, Kim Noel.
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