‘Jamarcus Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes’ (Films with a Purpose) [Film Review]

Last time we met, Marcellus Cox (read our interview here) had just released his first feature-length movie, Mickey Hardaway, in 2024. When I spoke to him, we discussed how his film recalled the monochrome graininess of Charles Burnett’s films. With his new short, Jamarcus Rose & da 5 Bullet Holes, Cox returns to a more standard HD colour palette and cuts to the chase with a film that, whilst not lacking flair, is more direct, telling its story in just over 20 minutes. 

The true story concerns Marcus(Stephen Cofield Jnr), a young kid who has learned life the hard way through the death of his alcoholic mother. Being raised by a loving grandmother (Ruthie Austin) is not enough to keep Marcus off the streets, so she enlists a “Big Brother” mentor, Jasper (Duane Erven), to guide the boy to a brighter future. 

Initially reluctant, Marcus spends a day with Jasper, and this is where the focus of the film lies. Via a love of baseball, they bond and share stories. The title of the movie is enough to suggest that this is not going to end well, and the short length of the film does not really give us time to prepare for the ending. This, however, is not the point.  

Despite the best intentions of Jasper and Marcus’s Grandmother, there is no escaping the fact that black communities continue to live in fear of criminal elements, and the solution is never easy to find. What appears at first to be something of a feel-good moral fable falls down as reality bites. 

The short was funded by The Director’s Guild of America and Black Hollywood Education and Resources Center, and has been playing the festival circuit since mid-February. As an educational piece, it certainly has the power to scare young viewers into realizing the realities of their neighbourhoods. Bravely, it does not suggest that the Big Brothers of America program has all the answers, but does encourage those on the edge of a life of crime to take caution and advice. 

Cox’s no-nonsense direction and the performances of the central characters ensure that this brief story will hold your attention and provoke much thought. 

Cox is an important figure in low-budget, independent black cinema, and this film proves that his varying styles and approaches can teach us all something about black history and the current struggles that continue today in our violent society. 

Director: Marcellus Cox
Writer: Marcellus Cox
Starring: Stephen Cofield Jnr, Duane Erven, Ruthie Austin
Produced by: Marcellus Cox and Eric Quincy
Distributed by: Films with a Purpose
Release Date: 13 Feb 2026
Run Time:23 mins