In “Two Distant Strangers,” Free’s first Oscar contender, a Black man named Carter (Bada$$) perpetually repeats the same day. It starts off well enough; Carter wakes up beside a beautiful woman and excitedly plans to return home to his dog. But Carter never gets the chance. His day ends with him being killed by a police officer who chooses lethal force in every iteration of their interaction.
At first, Carter believes that a change of action or presentation will change his outcome. However, after multiple attempts at this metaphysical course correction, it becomes apparent that no changed…
