The black cowboy has been left out of most history books, but Netflix is shedding light on the forgotten culture with the new feature film “Concrete Cowboy.” While Western movies featured the White cowboy conquering the Native Americans, the Black cowboys that held down their communities and supported many of their fellow cowboy’s endeavors were nearly erased.
Based on the book Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri, “Concrete Cowboy” spotlights the culture that few African Americans know anything about. With a star-studded cast that includes Hollywood heartthrobs Idris Elba and Cliff “Method Man” Smith, along with celebrated actress Lorraine Toussaint, Concrete Cowboy gives up-and-coming star Caleb McLaughlin a chance to shine.
Produced by Lee Daniels, the coming of age story shows an unlikely father (Idris Elba) struggling to connect with his son (Caleb McLaughlin) before his proverbial roosters come home to rest. Elba’s stoic non-communicative portrayal of Harp is reminiscent of your Grandmother’s favorite Western flick, while McLaughlin’s version of Cole — the insolent son — is relevant to any urban street film today.
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