That Time Donald Glover and Rihanna Dropped a Musical on Prime Video

Donald Glover is one of the most multifaceted creators in the business. He’s turned out some great music as his alter ego, Childish Gambino. He’s been a solid presence on television — Atlanta, Community, and most recently, the Mr. & Mrs. Smith reboot on Prime Video. He even serves as an ongoing presence in the Spider-Man universe! However, there’s one project of his that has flown under the radar: the short film Guava Island. Released in 2019, Guava Island mixes Glover’s music with his sharp storytelling instincts, resulting in a unique film experience that pairs Glover with top tier creative talent.

Guava Island

A young musician seeks to hold a festival to liberate the oppressed people of Guava Island, even if only for a day.

Release Date

April 13, 2019

Director

Hiro Murai

Runtime

55 Minutes

What Is ‘Guava Island’ About?

Guava Island takes place on the titular island, centering on musician Deni Maroon (Donald Glover). Deni’s become well known for his soulful music, even if all he wants to do is spend his days with the beautiful Kofi (Rihanna). But Deni’s plans to throw a music festival are thrown into upheaval by Red (Nonso Anozie), the despotic leader of Guava Island who holds an iron fist over its textile trade. Red offers Deni a choice: either he can cancel the festival so that the people can work, or he can die.

What made Guava Island stand out is the fact that Glover worked with most of his Atlanta creative crew, particularly director Hiro Murai and his brother Stephen Glover, who penned the screenplay. Their work on Atlanta tackled many socially relevant topics through a satirical lens, and most of it worked due to Murai’s surreal, eye-grabbing direction and the Glovers’ razor-sharp wit. The same is true for Guava Island, which tackles the dual topics of capitalism and creativity. Red’s power lies in his ability to hold control over his workers, which Deni is unwittingly disrupting. When Deni also decides to perform at the festival, Red sends an assassin after him — which only makes Deni a martyr, as the people of Guava Island take a day off to hold a funeral. This simple act of defiance isn’t just the island’s way of honoring Deni; it’s their way of defying the system that’s kept them under Red’s thumb for so long.

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Color also plays a big role in Guava Island‘s narrative. The film was shot in Cuba, so there’s plenty of scenes soaked in golden sunlight. But the most prominent colors are red and blue, which shift depending on the scene and/or character. Red belongs to…well, Red and his mercenaries, with their clothing taking on a darker hue that belies their murderous intentions. In contrast, Deni, Kofi, and the rest of Guava Island’s natives are shown wearing mostly blue. Even at Deni’s funeral, there is a heavy presence of blue, representing the quiet determination that led him to throw his concert.

Donald Glover’s Talents Make ‘Guava Island’ Worth a Watch

Guava Island‘s biggest draw is none other than Donald Glover, who pours all of his charisma into the role of Deni. Though Deni is viewed as many things throughout the island, all he really wants is to be with Kofi. It’s in his scenes with Rihanna where Glover shines the most. He’s a bit playful in trying to woo her, but also genuinely, heartbreakingly sincere. A pivotal scene in Guava Island concerns a song that Deni has wanted to sing to Kofi since they were children. He’s always held back, but in singing it, he captures Kofi’s attention — and by proxy, the audience’s. He’s also pouring his love for her into this song, which makes his death sting all the more.

The chemistry that Glover has with Rihanna is a major draw that anticipates some of his future projects, especially Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The entire series is built on the premise of making a relationship work, even if there are awkward moments throughout. Glover and Maya Erskine‘s John and Jane have the chemistry of two people you want to get together — the fact that they’re spies is almost secondary at points. Thanks to Glover’s innate chemistry with Erskine, viewers truly believe that John and Jane are drawn to each other. This effortless chemistry shines through with Glover and Rihanna as well in Guava Island, an early demonstration of Glover’s natural ability to play off of his co-stars.

The biggest standout in Guava Island, however, is how Glover weaves his songs into the ongoing narrative, letting his music speak for him. The best example comes early in the film, when one of Deni’s fellow co-workers says that he’d love to move to America. Cue a rendition of “This Is America,” featuring variations on the same arresting choreography that permeated the original music video. Just like the original song, Deni is attempting to tell his fellow workers that moving to America won’t automatically solve all their problems; in fact, they might be trading one set of problems for another. “You, yes even you, can be your own boss…for the right price,” Deni tells his co-worker, a thinly veiled dig at the capitalist systems that America’s built upon. ‘”The idea of capitalism and the relation that black people especially have to capitalism is something that’s interesting to us,'” Stephen Glover told Rolling Stone during an interview, which proves that plenty of thought went into the songs that make up Guava Island.

‘Guava Island’ Had a Great Setup, But Didn’t Take Off

With the team behind a hit TV show and popular talent attached, Guava Island seemed destined to be a hit. The timing of its release was also working in its favor, as it debuted on Prime Video around the time of Coachella 2019, where Glover was performing. A curated playlist was included, and Guava Island would be free to stream for non-Prime users. Even Twitch and YouTube got in on the action — this was truly built to be an event.

However, Guava Island was met with mixed critical reception regarding its execution. Some critics admired the themes Glover was trying to tackle, while others felt that Rihanna’s part was underwritten; this is a fair criticism, given that she’s only in a handful of scenes and is only shown interacting with Deni. There’s no sense of what she wants outside of her relationship with him. Polygon criticized Guava Island for being “one long music video,” as well as a vanity project for Glover.

Even if it didn’t make a splash in its initial debut, Guava Island is still worth a watch. Not only is it a clever satire, it also serves as a pure expression of Glover’s creative talents. Music, visuals, and performances all blend together for a unique film experience, which Glover has sought to replicate across most of his projects.

Guava Island is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

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