Coffee & Kareem (Netflix)
Detroit's criminal underbelly is hardly a match for the many goofball antics of Ed Helms. He portrays inept traffic cop James Coffee. Hoping to cement his romance with Vanessa (Taraji P. Henson), Coffee's efforts to bond with her 12-year-old son, Kareem (Terrence Little Gardenhigh), cause the lad to flee and accidentally witness a gang of killers plying their trade. To tie up loose ends, the assassins come gunning for Kareem. The boy, along with mom Vanessa, is obliged to save Coffee whose attempts to protect them result in the cop dousing himself in pepper spray and accidentally discharging his gun. Helms best get right on that apology letter to traffic cops ...
Uncorked (Netflix)
Owner of legendary, Memphis BBQ shack, Louis (Courtney B. Vance) is shocked to learn his only son Elijah (Mamoudou Athie), plans to become a master sommelier rather than take over the family business. While Louis possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of BBQ, Elijah’s fascination with wine affords him a glimpse into a rarefied realm, along with opportunities for upward mobility. Elijah hopes to reconcile his father and mother (Niecy Nash) to his personal dream, but roughly-hewn Louis is stubborn. The film ably depicts Elijah’s efforts to learn the nuances of wine, as well as trying to walk his own path without alienating dear old dad.
