Netflix's 'Uncorked' Is The Perfect Blend Of Hiphop, Wine And Food
After watching the trailer for Netflix’s March release, Uncorked, my chest was hot for a number of reasons. First of all, Niecy- Motherfucking-Nash and the unforgettable Courtney B. Vance were starring actors. Secondly, it is a movie about wine and food, which is right up my alley at the intersection between entertainment, pop culture and food.
Image credit: Netflix/Uncorked
Produced by Prentice Penny (Insecure), Uncorked follows the story of Elijah (played by Mamoudou Athie), an aspiring Sommelier and heir, against his wishes, to his father’s (played by Courtney B. Vance) barbecue business. The trailer already set Elijah for drama, with his father’s disapproval hanging over his shoulder, like bad breath in a Lagos Molue.
Uncorked begins with settings of wine and barbecue production juxtaposed against Yo Gotti’s “Juice”, a trap song with lyrics that blend with the juicing and extraction of grapes as seen in wine production.
The soundtrack for food production scenes in many movies leans towards classical music to demonstrate the intricate, luxurious art of cooking. Uncorked defies this expectation, utilising hip hop from Memphis rap heavyweights like Money Bagg Yo, and Yo Gotti. From the first act, it can be observed that the art of winemaking and cooking are like hip hop; hardcore, artistic and intriguing.
Set in Memphis, the movie strips down the city with a hyperfocus on wine, family and hip hop served in drizzles of trap music and sprinkles of hip hop references. To help us understand wine better, Elijah utilises pop culture references, likening Jay- Z to a Chardonnay, a versatile wine he describes as the “granddaddy of wine”. Bar his recent music releases, Jay-Z is easily one of the most relevant names in hip-hop, and this comparison is far from a reach. Through the course of his career, he has established himself as a force to reckon with, with his impressive body of work and genre-bending collaborations with artists like Linkin Park.
On the other hand, Kanye West is likened to a pinot grigio, an unassuming white wine with some spice to it. “You thought I was just a white wine. I'm about to get stupid!”, as Elijah compares the wine’s spicy notes to Kanye West’s unpredictable music and public persona. All that spice could get you cancelled when you mess with the wrong palate.
And finally, the riesling which is “The Drake of Wines” because “it’s always in its feelings”, per Elijah’s description. Before the fuckboi-era Champagne Papi and patois-speaking Drizzy, there was Drake, the rapper who rapped and sang about being heartbroken and needing just a crumb of love to carry on.
Like shared communion over wine, there is shared communion over hip hop in real life. We know to say “aye” when “Back That Azz Up” comes up and to play a Jay-Z or Megan Thee Stallion track when pulling up to a party. So even when his dreams take Elijah to Paris, the energy and grime of hip hop endure with the upbeat “Grand garçon” from French rapper, Marty de Lutece.
As the characters get introduced, we see the oversabi (Athie) teaching them about wine etiquette, his vegan sister who only brings weird-looking food to family functions, the amebo auntie who randomly drops hot gist in the middle of a serious discussion, the annoying failed DJ cousin who won’t shut up, the over-enthusiastic mother, Sylvia and unimpressed father, Lois who just wants to eat his dinner in peace.
Wine is sexy and flirty, and against the courtship and romance, Yo Gotti’s “Different” plays in the background. I would’ve loved to see more development on Tanya, Elijah’s girlfriend, beyond the role of cheerleader and plot driver. Nevertheless, there’s the ugliness, strife and random cuteness that are glossed over in your typical rom-com.
In the context of grief, Uncorked takes things to the next level, with grief being expressed through the colours, textures and qualities of a glass of wine: rich, red, old and complex. In death, we scramble to hold on to the remnants of the memories of our beloved, as such, Sylvia’s daughter tried her best to cook meals her mother would’ve liked.
As the movie draws to its final act, every sentiment on the spectrum of emotions has been demonstrated -anger, frustration, grief, pain, defeat, lust, love, and finally, redemption. The long-awaited reconciliation happens not with hugs and apologies but over a bottle of aged wine.
Image credit: Netflix/Uncorked
In the end, though, we don’t get the ending we want or think we deserve. Instead, we’re taken to the first act of our favourite rap song, the part where the rhymes describe a come up after being through hell and back - like a perfectly done barbecue.