Out Stretched Hands is a film written by Tayvon Bradford and directed by Nate Reynolds, which follows what seems to be a regular night for two young Black men, only to come to a tense encounter with a police officer.
There is a lot to say about this film, but let’s start with what comes as the most shocking element – its raw representation of one of the worst aspects of American society. The film follows Caleb and Junior, two young Black men who are about to go out at night, just like any person would. From the opening scene, the script establishes them as two normal individuals who fool around with each other and that fear the criminal element of their society. They aspire to better lives and are aware of the dangers that they or their families can find – two things any of us can relate to. But what happens when, out of a genuine concern that someone might be after them, they ignore a stop sign? Then they become said object of concern for the so-called defenders of law and order, and end up in a tragic situation. Why? Simply because they’re black.
Racism and police brutality are two things that have marked American society from its beginnings, but that have seen an alarming increase in incidents in recent years. The reasons are many, from the rise of right-wing movements that shout speeches of hate, to the design of “justice programs” that are clearly biased against minorities. It’s a systematic problem that, despite the increasing social awareness, persists and, sadly, the way things are, seems unlikely to change. Unless society somehow manages to become more empathetic and way more informed, especially in its more conservative sectors, situations like this will continue to happen, but that doesn’t mean we are supposed not to speak up. The artist’s responsibility in difficult times is to fight back through creations that reflect what bothers us, what hurts us, and what takes away our humanity, and that helps its viewers to understand and think about what is happening. In that sense, this film achieves just that. What Bradford’s script and Reynold’s direction have achieved here is to create a raw representation of something likely to be happening somewhere in the United States as we watch this film or read this review. Precisely for the inherent empathy that films can create by making us familiar with a character, even if is just for a couple of minutes, we get the chance to process a real-life problem more closely, and with projects like this, we will do just that. The problem won’t disappear just by watching a movie, but it will make its audience more comprehensive to members of Black communities and even if is a tiny step, is a step in the right direction to build a better, fairer society.
So, we have nothing but praise for this film and its ability to create, in less than 10 minutes, such a raw portrayal of the kind of story we often hear about in the news. The filmmakers succeed in creating a casual atmosphere that feels like any other night, while the cast does an excellent job representing these two young men who are full of concerns and aspirations, and whose lives are about to be forever changed in just a couple of seconds for something as silly as missing a stop sign. The decision to keep this incident until near the end comes as a brilliant move as it shows how fast a normal night can turn into chaos… and how, for some, it all can end just like that.
Realistic, crude, and certainly gut-punching, we congratulate the cast and crew for such a powerful piece and we can’t wait to see more of their projects.
Director Biography – Nate Reynolds
Nate Reynolds is an indie filmmaker from Norristown, Pennsylvania, with a focus on producing and creative directing. He began his film and media career in the year 2019 with his directorial short film debut “Hood Shenaniganz: Mania”, a crime thriller that was an “Official Selection” and “Finalist” for “Best Short Film Drama” at the New Jersey Film Awards.
Since then, Reynolds has pushed himself to write, produce, direct and create several other projects that have provided him with the experience and confidence to form and be the CEO of his own production company, CorNR Productions LLC.
Other relevant projects produced by Reynolds include “Enough Is Enough”, a vivid poetic documentary following peaceful protests nearly after the tragic 2020 incident of the loss of George Floyd, and “Two-Faced”, a gritty web series in the crime-drama genre. To date, Reynolds’s most recently released native productions are “Shear Disturbance” (“Best Micro Short Film” – Academy International Film Awards 2023 & “Best Philly Jawn” – Bicycle Shorts Film Festival 2023), a 2023 short-term suspense, drama short film about a timid young man who deeply struggles with generalized anxiety while getting a haircut, and “Out Stretched Hands” (2025) where two young men embark on a seemingly normal night but are surprised with a tragedy in a suburban area.
Reynolds’s overall mission within the industry is to create and produce powerful and unique films that greatly impact individuals and become game changers in their own right.
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