Now On Demand: EMPEROR, When the Entire South Knows Your Name

Sometimes, a little anonymity might be a good thing.

Emperor
The film is available from Briarcliff Entertainment and Universal Pictures on VOD, DVD and all digital platforms as of August 18, 2020. Visit the official site for details.

If you were running for your life, you probably would not want everyone to know your name, especially if you were an outlaw slave in the American Old South.

This dilemma is effectively portrayed in the trailer for Emperor, which opens today on a variety of digital platforms, after its original theatrical release was canceled in March 2020. Indeed, I watched the trailer months ago and remember thinking that the film was well-timed for its subject matter, though the pandemic sidelined those plans.

Its emotional excitement still seems like it would play better in a theater, surrounded by people who were not possibly spreading a deadly virus by their mere presence, so I recommend that you do what I have been doing: sit closer to your television.

Dayo Okeniyi stars; he's appeared in notable films throughout the decade, both the good (The Hunger Games, The Spectacular Now) and the not so good (Endless Love, Terminator Genisys). Recently he also appeared in the horror flick Run Sweetheart Run, which made a good impression on our own Mel Valentin.

According to the official synopsis, "Emperor is inspired by the legend of Shields 'Emperor' Green (Okeniyi), a descendant of African kings turned outlaw slave in the pre-Civil War South. Seeking freedom for his family, Emperor fights his way north, joining the daring raid on Harper's Ferry and helping alter the course of American history."

The cast also features several performers who are consistently above-average, including James Cromwell, Bruce Dern, Mykelti Williamson, Naturi Naughton, and Harry Lennix as Frederick Douglass. Watch the trailer below.