André Holland leads Andre Gaines’s film adaptation of Dutchman

Andre Gaines’s psychological thriller "The Dutchman," now in theaters, stars André Holland and Kate Mara and updates Amiri Baraka’s 1964 play.

Co-written by Gaines and Qasim Basir, the film delves into racial and sexual politics and, the review says, recalls Jordan Peele’s "Get Out." It opens with a Carl Jung quote and follows Holland as Clay, a businessman whose wife Kaya (Zazie Beetz) has had an affair. After Kaya leaves a therapy session, Dr. Amiri (Stephen McKinley Henderson) prescribes the play "Dutchman" and keeps a stage replica on his mantle. When Clay encounters Lula (Kate Mara) on a subway train, the film turns into a symbol‑suffused, reality‑meets‑allegory exploration of racial anxieties; the review notes that Baraka once described Lula as "A slightly nutty (wholly dangerous) white female bohemian."

The reviewer highlights the filmmakers' dive into the archives of the nascent Black Arts Movement for a throughline and quotes the doctor telling Clay, "Sometimes we find pieces of ourselves in literature that help us heal." The film is rated R for sexual content, language and brief violence and runs 1 hour 28 minutes.

Key Topics

Culture, The Dutchman, Andre Gaines, André Holland, Kate Mara, Amiri Baraka