‘Cerebrum’ has arrived!
Directed by Sebastien Blanc, the riveting film follows a young man in the aftermath of waking from a year-long coma.
Navigating a new normal, he clashes with his controlling father while trying to ascertain what truly happened to his missing Mom. All while past actions and their consequences catch up with him.
That Grape Juice caught up with ‘Cerebrum’ star Tobi King Bakare, who opened up about what to expect from the film (which is available digitally now).
Join us after the jump…
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That Grape Juice: For those who don’t know, what is Cerebrum about?
Tobi King Bakare: Cerebrum is mad film. It’s a psychological thriller/horror that follows a young boy called William who wakes up after being comatose for a year. Once back home, he discovers that his world has truly flipped upside down. He finds out that his well-renowned scientist father, Richard has also changed and has been working on an immoral experiment to fix the damage Will caused in his accident. It’s a story of grief layered with mind-bending twists and subverted horror tropes.
That Grape Juice: Both William and his story are so layered. What drew you to this specific role and what was the audition process like?
Tobi King Bakare: I love tragic heroes. Especially in the realms of thriller and horror. The audition process was very fun. After reading the script I had a clear image of who William was. My audition scene was the ‘laughter yoga scene’ and when you watch the film, you’ll understand why it has been one of the funniest scenes to audition with in my life so far.
That Grape Juice: It’s so refreshing to finally be seeing actors of color cast in more compelling and less stereotypical roles. A change ‘Cerebrum’ positively contributes to. What additional changes do you think are necessary to advance that cause more?
Tobi King Bakare: I really enjoyed the almost ‘blind casting’ approach on ‘Cerebrum.’ Not once is race mentioned or referred to in the script. Blind casting is very progressive. I don’t think we need to baby our audiences anymore. Don’t get me wrong, we definitely still need an increase in stories from and for POC. However, it would be nice to reach a point where no one cares, and they just believe what they see. Letting the story belong without the touch of race politics.
That Grape Juice: For viewers at home, what are three reasons to watch ‘Cerebrum’?
Tobi King Bakare: To see that laughter yoga scene, I was talking about.
To jump and pretend you didn’t.
To have your mind blown.
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‘Cerebrum’ is Out Now Digitally
