Trailer Watch: Jessica Sula is a Fish-Out-of-Water in Rebecca Johnson’s “Honeytrap”
Raised by her grandparents in Trinidad, 15-year-old Layla (Jessica Sula) moves to Brixton, London to find an uncaring mother and a whole new set of rules and pressures from the area’s teen set. On the cusp of womanhood, Layla is looking for acceptance and “to be something.”
Directed by Brixton native Rebecca Johnson, “Honeytrap” is based on real-life events involving a young woman and two romantic rivals (“Scream Queens’” Lucien Laviscount, Ntonga Mwanza) that ended in tragedy, but through her fictional take, Johnson focuses on the woman’s story, shedding light on a difficult relationship with her mother and troubles in coming to terms with new surroundings and social system.
As Shadow and Act noted, “Skins” alum Sula “plays Layla with amazing fluidity. Her naivety is believable, and yet one is equally left wondering whether her character is really as sweet and innocent as she initially seems.”
“Honeytrap” was acquired by Ava DuVernay’s company ARRAY about a month ago, with her ARRAY partner Tilane Jones saying, “Director Rebecca Johnson has crafted a bewitching tale from a young woman’s perspective with a cast of fresh new talent. We’re excited to introduce ‘Honeytrap’ to its US audience with this captivating voice in filmmaking.”
“Honeytrap” hits theaters through ARRAY on September 23.
