'Safety' (2020)

Safety is a 2020 coming-of-age sports drama movie based on a true story. The film opens with a camera shot of Ray, the main character, walking on a college campus as a freshman. The subtitles show the film takes place in South Carolina in 2006.

Viewers see a strong representation of Black Americans, as Jay Reeves is a Black actor playing the main character. There are other Black actors playing supporting roles.

The main conflict of this movie is Ray’s unsteady home life. His younger brother, Fahmarr, is in a situation where he has to be placed under child services because Tonya, Ray’s mother, has relapsed. Tonya has been doing drugs; as a result, Ray takes his brother onto his college campus and secretly takes care of him while trying to balance his schoolwork and football career.

The significance of the main conflict is struggling with someone who is a drug addict. Dealing with someone who’s doing drugs is a complicated problem; Ray now has to deal with taking care of Fahmarr until Tonya is feeling better and released from rehab. Viewers learn that an unsteady life at home can affect a college student’s future, as the student now has to deal with taking care of someone as well as himself. The film’s title, Safety, further supports the topics and themes of keeping loved ones safe when situations like this one arise.

The football symbolizes Ray’s dreams of playing pro football like he did in the past. The Tigers team is represented by the colors blue and orange and a tiger paw print. The football game represents following one’s heart.

This movie is recommended for football fans and viewers who love a heartwarming story of triumph over tragedy.