In the wake of the heavy Judas and the Black Messiah, Son of the South is a milder and more embellished biopic depicting the struggles of the Civil Rights movement in the Deep South. Though some performances are unfortunately brief the great strength of this film is in the talent of its cast. Lucas Till is surprisingly charismatic as Bob Zellner, but it is the film’s supporting cast, a mix of veterans and new faces, that really elevate the piece. Members of the Civil Rights movement are depicted with dignity, intensity and an occasional levity that brings them to life. The script however does go heavy on the ham and for every powerful moment there are a lot of dead-on-arrival clichés.
Barry Alexander Brown, a long time collaborator with Spike Lee, is far from a fresh face in the picture business, but you would be forgiven for assuming that this film is the work of an enthusiastic amateur who takes great pleasure in throwing a slurry of special effects at the screen and seeing what sticks. The use of archival forage is well done and adds some depth to film, but cheesy transitions and the opening “yep, that’s me,” freeze-frame also do their part to turn drama into bathos. Mileage, like the cars that have a habit of being burned off-screen, greatly varies.
All together the film is occasionally, though not unpleasantly, cheesy. There are glimpses of a good film behind the layers of editing, but this one appeals mainly to the period piece buff.