Page 72 of The Need to Know

“Okay, I was rooting for Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx the entire time. All these movies have ruined me.”

Ezekiel chuckled. “Let’s root for the hero tonight, then.”

I spotted Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in the lineup and got curious. Not enough to watch it. It wasn’t a love story, but it danced on the theme.

“Do you believe in fate or destiny?” I wondered.

Ezekiel thought it over, looking toward the ceiling for an answer. “See, I don’t know. Adopting Sadé felt destined, but as far as love and romance, I don’t know. Why you ask?”

“No reason.”

He nudged me, not giving up. “Nah, why you ask?”

“Ever seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?”

Ezekiel glanced at the screen. He eyed the cover of Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet lying in the snow. “I think so.”

“I saw it once and I kind of just really liked the idea of fate and destiny. Soul mates or whatever.”

“I guess it can be nice to go about it that there’s someone out there fated for you. It’s better than being jaded and hopeless.”

Yeah.

I kept going through movies, seeing so many titles in my watchlist already.

“The Silence of the Lambs is kind of a hero movie, but you gotta be in the mood for that,” I commented as I passed it by.

“The Silence of the Lambs is the best Hannibal Lector movie,” Ezekiel said adamantly.

“Nope,” I disagreed. “It’s Manhunter even if he’s not the main guy.”

Ezekiel threw his hands up. “And you’re going with Manhunter before Red Dragon!”

I shrugged. “It’s the only one that feels like a cop movie.”

“Ed Norton.”

“Was good,” I admitted. “That eighties filter nostalgia got me in Manhunter, sue me.”

“I just might.” Ezekiel shook his head. “Anthony Hopkins.”

“He overdid it after Silence.”

Ezekiel ran a hand down his face. “Yo, you buggin’, bro.”

I loved that he’d slip and bro me. It made me feel like a real friend. If that was what I wanted in the end. “Nah, you buggin’, bro.”

“What about 8 Mile?” Ezekiel suggested. “Ever seen that?”

“No. I know this is like a taboo take, but I’ve always felt that Em was a little overrated, even though my favorite hip-hop song of all time is unironically ‘Lose Yourself.’ ”

“Nah, Em definitely cemented his place in hip-hop. He’s earned the hype.”

I clicked on 8 Mile since I hadn’t seen it and went to lay on my stomach as I faced the screen.

In a comfortable silence, we sat there and watched the movie. I made mental notes all throughout instead of typing them on my phone, not wanting to lose a minute. 8 Mile was definitely going to be featured on my next Nasty Noir post.

When the movie finished and Rabbit walked down the rain-slicked Detroit road to head back to work, I paused the ending credits and sat up.