Karen (2022)
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The story
Malik and Imani Jeffries, a young black couple, move into a new house in the fictional affluent suburban Atlanta community of Harvey Hill. They quickly encounter Karen Drexler, the Homeowners Association president, who is hostile and suspicious of them. Despite the couple's attempts to ignore her behavior, Karen begins a campaign of harassment and stalking, seeking any reason to remove them from the neighborhood. She utilizes her power and her brother, a police officer, to target the couple, creating a tense environment as they try to settle into their new home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Malik and Imani Jeffries move into the affluent Atlanta suburb of Harvey Hill, where they are met with hostility by the Homeowners Association president, Karen Drexler. Karen, a racist woman with Neo-Confederate ties, uses her position and her brother, Officer Mike Wind, to stalk and harass the couple. After Karen's bigoted behavior is exposed at a meeting and she is sued by a civil rights lawyer, she becomes increasingly deranged. She has Mike plant drugs on Malik, leading to his arrest. Eventually, Karen breaks into the couple's home with a gun. During a violent confrontation, Karen shoots Imani, but Imani manages to kill Karen in self-defense after a standoff involving Mike and another officer, Hill. Following the ordeal, Malik and Imani receive compensation from the city, and Imani takes over the HOA, renaming the community to John Lewis.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Coke Daniels
- Writers
- Coke Daniels · writer
- Cast and characters
- Taryn Manning · Karen Drexler (née Wind); Cory Hardrict · Malik Jeffries; Jasmine Burke · Imani Jeffries; Roger Dorman · Officer Mike Wind; Brandon Sklenar · Officer Hill; Gregory Alan Williams · Charles Wright; Veronika Bozeman · Fatima; Dawn Halfkenny · Chanel McFadden
- Genres
- black horror; black comedy; crime thriller
- Themes
- racism; harassment; vigilantism
- Tone and mood
- tense; satirical; horrific
- Premise and plot tags
- racism in the United States; crime thriller; black comedy
- Reception
- The film was overwhelmingly panned by critics upon its release, receiving a low approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and being described as a poorly executed tale of a hateful racist.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Picture · 42nd · nomination; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Actress · 42nd · nomination
- Production trivia
- The title is a reference to the 'Karen' stereotype in American popular culture.; Principal photography began in Georgia, Georgia in December 2020.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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