American Son 2019

On a stormy night in a Miami police station, Kendra Ellis-Connor waits for news about her son Jamal, who has suddenly disappeared. She asks for help from Officer Paul Larkin, a rookie cop who can’t tell her anything about the incident. Due to protocol and a lack of information, he explains that he must wait for Lt. John Stokes, the AM shift liaison officer. Her estranged husband, FBI agent Scott Connor, arrives at the station, demanding to know where Jamal is.

Larkin informs Scott that Jamal and two other Black men were pulled over by police. The only other detail he can share is that Jamal’s car carried a provocative bumper sticker about violence against cops. This revelation ignites a lengthy argument between Kendra and Scott, as they confront their troubled marriage and their experiences raising a biracial son in a privileged community. Kendra stresses that Jamal felt depressed and isolated as one of the very few Black students at his school, referring to himself as “the face of the race,” while Scott counters that Jamal shouldn’t have presented himself as a “gangsta.”

Larkin comes back with more information: Jamal was with two other Black men, one of whom has a misdemeanor drug possession warrant. The discussion between Kendra and Scott grows more heated as they debate Jamal’s environment and the racial tensions surrounding him. Kendra reveals that Jamal was angry at Scott for leaving the family, which she says is why he placed the bumper sticker on the car. Scott then receives a video from his brother—an account of the traffic stop showing a police officer firing at a fleeing suspect while a bystander records the moment.

The video unsettles everyone, and Scott physically confronts Larkin, demanding to know where his son is. At that moment, Lieutenant Stokes arrives and arrests Scott after he shoves him. After booking, Stokes tells Kendra that three Black males were taken into custody in connection with the traffic stop, but he cannot confirm whether Jamal is among them. Scott is released later with a “promise to appear” court order, and Kendra reveals that Jamal had left the house following an argument.

Stokes later secures the full incident report: Bell, Rolle, and Jamal were driving around Liberty City when Bell stops to buy a small amount of marijuana. Rodney Banks, a Black police officer, witnesses the exchange and stops the car. Bell and Rolle exit to confront Banks, but Bell flees when Banks trains his gun on them. Jamal exits the car, trying to stand with his hands on the hood. Banks fires three shots at Bell; one of the bullets—whether a stray round or a ricochet—hits Jamal in the head, killing him instantly. The parents are devastated as Stokes steps aside to offer them a moment of silence. In the final scene, Scott exclaims, “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” a line that may reflect his heart condition or echo broader conversations about policing and race.

I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!