Malcolm & Marie

MALCOLM & MARIE (played by John David Washington and Zendaya) have just returned home from the premiere of what promises to be Malcolm's breakthrough film as a director. He's on a high, riffing on the ridiculousness of the White critics fawning over him all night. She's tense and barely putting up with his boasting. She critiques his hypocrisy, and he draws out the real motivation for her anger: Malcolm forgot to thank her in his speech at the premiere. Over the course of several more arguments, Marie's complicated past is revealed to have been the inspiration for his film, yet she feels shut out of his creation on several levels. More revelations, arguments, and confessions over the course of the night are punctuated by moments of tenderness and apology. It's unclear whether the couple will make it through the night together, or whether they should even try.