Moses the Black Review: An Attempt To Turn a Crime Story Into Something Deeper

My Rating – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆☆

Where to watch/stream Moses the Black

Moses the Black is a gangster story that makes you think about grace

Moses the Black was better than I anticipated it to be, even if it is a bit generic in a lot of ways.

Plot Summary of Moses the Black (Spoiler-Free)

Moses the Black follows two men on very different journeys that are tied together by fate and faith, wjhere on one side, we have Saint Moses, a fourth-century Ethiopian man who starts out as a violent criminal, living a life of theft, murder, and general chaos.

Through encounters with monks, Scripture, and a community dedicated to faith, he slowly transforms, leaving behind his criminal ways and eventually becoming a spiritual leader.

On the other side is Malik, a modern-day gang leader who is fresh out of prison, angry, and looking for revenge after the death of a close friend. Malik grew up with a preacher for a father and a grandmother who tried her best to guide him, but he turned away from faith years ago.

The film alternates between his life in Chicago and Moses’ life in ancient Ethiopia, showing parallels between violence, conscience, and the possibility of redemption.

Throughout the film, moments of reflection, small religious symbols, and lines from Scripture appear alongside gunfights, heated confrontations, and gang politics.

Moses the Black Review: Is It Worth Watching?

On the surface, Moses the Black looks like a gritty gangster movie, but beneath that, it’s also a meditation on faith, conscience, and transformation, with big ambitions but messy execution.

The film is handled within two timelines – flipping between fourth-century Ethiopia and modern-day Chicago, featuring Chukwudi Iwuji as Saint Moses, who is calm, grounded, and you can feel his character wrestling with his past, and Omar Epps as Malik as a whole other energy – he’s brash, angry, and you can feel his frustration with the world pressing down on him.

Watching these two stories side by side, the film constantly asks, “Can anyone change?”

I was surprised by how violent the film gets, as we get some raw, and uncomfortable scenes, where we watch Malik navigate the streets, facing rival gangs, tand rying to avenge his friend – it’s tense, stressful, and it makes the moments of reflection hit you straight in the face.

The contrast between brutality and faith is at the heart of the film, and when a small act of grace appears – a prayer, a holy card, a line from Scripture – it feels almost miraculous against all the chaos that is happening.

I enjoyed the dialogue on show too, and it is sharp, sometimes funny, and the pacing keeps you interested without dragging too much, where you get moments that will make you laugh, and moments that make you wince.

The editing does a good job of connecting all of the past and present as well, using visual cues and recurring symbols, like the image of Saint Moses, to remind us that the story is about more than just violence.

Southside Chicago is also at its grim best, while fourth-century Ethiopia is lush, with wide shots of desert landscapes and quiet monastic life that contrast perfectly with the cramped, tense urban streets, and the cinematography really helps sell the emotional stakes of both stories.

I also have to applaud how the film handles faith without being heavy-handed like many films do, as it doesn’t shove religion down your throat, it doesn’t moralize it, and it doesn’t try to make every moment a sermon.

Instead, it shows small, human acts, and these moments are simple, but you notice them straight away as they make you think about whether grace can really reach anyone, even someone like Malik, who seems completely consumed by anger and revenge.

As for the acting – nothing special, with some celebrity cameos too, and none of the performances will be raved about, but they weren’t too bad, either.

I do suspect a lot will dislike the film though, as it is quite generic with certain aspects of the film if you have seen gangster movies before, and some of the themes won’t be cared about by a lot of people, either.

But if I had to sum up why Moses the Black worked for me, it’s this – it’s unpredictable, emotionally engaging, and it balances brutality with quiet moments of grace that made me think.

It’s nothing special, but I am glad I watched it, but consdiering all the bad reviews, I might be the only one who is glad they watched it.

What I liked (And What I Didn’t like)

Pros

Dual narratives

The two timelines are interwoven surprisingly well.

Faith integrated naturally

Moments of religion never feel preachy.

Sharp dialogue

It’s witty, grounded, and occasionally funny.

Thought-provoking

It raises questions about redemption and grace that did make me think.

Cons

Generic

Certain aspects of Malik’s story are pretty familiar, and the film is quite generic.

Occasional scene length

Some scenes could have been tighter.

Sound mixing

At times the dialogue was hard to catch in some scenes.

Who Might Like Moses the Black

• Fans of character-driven crime dramas
• People interested in stories about faith and redemption
• Anyone who enjoy dual timelines and historical context
• Fans of Omar Epps or Chukwudi Iwuji
• People who appreciate films that balance violence with reflection

Who Might Dislike Moses the Black

• Audiences expecting a straightforward gangster revenge flick
• Those who prefer tidy, happy endings
• People uncomfortable with violence
• Anyone who struggles with switching between multiple timelines

Final Verdict: Did I Enjoy Watching Moses the Black?

Yes, and more than I expected after reading some negative reviews – it’s a violent, emotional, and sometimes funny ride that blends gangster grit with a story about faith and transformation, and by the end you find a surprising amount of hope being felt.

Moses The Black Trailer

Simon Leasher

A lover of cinema for over 35 years, I have watched many films from around the world in many different genres, yet I still normally always come back to trashy slasher horror films when in doubt. More

And yes, The Godfather 2 is better than The Godfather.