Flex is Kings is an often exhilarating documentary about the style of dance known as flexing. But those feelings fade as the film goes on. This would have been perfect as a half-hour short. As feature film, it has long drags and far too many characters.
Directors Michael Beach Nichols and Deidre Schoo focus most of their attention on Flizzo, a heavyset but graceful ex-gang member, and Jay, who gets recruited for a risqué production of Pinocchio. But they seem so enamored with everyone who even attempts to flex the film detours to spend time with lots of other New Yorkers, some of whom aren't that interesting.
While the dance sequences"”and there are many, perhaps too many"”are thrilling, the documentary doesn't stop to explore more where it should. When an agreement with a venue to host a flexing competition hits a tangle over some ridiculous technicalities, there's some blatant racism and stereotyping going on by the owners of the venue. But the film doesn't draw enough of a line between flexing and defying stereotypes.
And while Flizzo is an interesting personality, his tumultuous home life brings in far more drama than his desire to be the top flexer, despite being unemployed. In fact, there's so much to be mined from the characters who seem to be barely scraping by that it feels like a missed opportunity.
The only character who monetizes his dancing ability is Jay, who not only nails his audition to play Pinocchio in a modern ballet company, he gets to travel across the world touring with it. Surely there was some jealousy and doubts among his friends, but we never see that angle. A documentary solely about Jay could have been even more fascinating.
What's most absent from Flex is Kings is a unifying theme. Its use as an alternative to joining a gang is briefly suggested, but it doesn't encompass the whole movement. Other documentaries on dance subcultures had a bond. Paris is Burning was about a group of men who had to literally go underground to express themselves. Rize chronicled an ancestral connection and outlet for the oppressed. If there's a strong tie among flexers, it's never displayed onscreen, aside from the usual camaraderie that comes with being a member of any team.
Even with a lack of focus, Flex is Kings shines a spotlight on a previously unseen group who are avoiding the pitfalls New York can offer. On that basis, as well as its mind-blowing dance sequences, it's worth catching.
