Chiwetel Ejiofor has been in the entertainment industry for over two decades. During these years, he has worked in many acclaimed films, including “Dirty Pretty Things” and “12 Years a Slave,” for which he received an Oscar nod. In 2019, he made his feature directorial debut with “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.” Now, he returns with “Rob Peace” – his sophomore directorial, a biographical drama based on the true story of a Yale graduate. Ejiofor wrote the film’s screenplay based on Jeff Hobbs’ 2014 book, “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace.” Besides Jay Will, who plays the lead role, the film stars Mary J. Blige and Ejiofor as Rob’s parents.
Spoilers Ahead
Rob Peace (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Rob Peace” is a 2024 biographical drama that chronicles the events from the life of Robert Peace, a Yale graduate hailing from Newark, New Jersey. It reveals details from his familial life, education, and journey to overcome multiple adversities.
What happens in Chiwetel Ejiofor’s ‘Rob Peace’?
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s “Rob Peace” follows the life of Rob Peace (Jay Will), a Newark resident who becomes a Yale graduate. Initially, it offers us insights into his childhood, which affected the man he became. In 1987, Rob (Jenni Dacres) lived in East Orange with his mother, Jackie (Mary J Bilge). Jackie had separated from Rob’s father, Skeet Douglas (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who shared parental custody with her. Even as a 7-year-old kid, Rob had been sharp and intelligent. Skeet admired that. Rob looked up to his father. Skeet had big hopes for the kid. In the past, Skeet had experienced a severe tragedy when his house was burned to ashes.
One day, Skeet got into serious trouble. He was accused of killing two women and had to face trial. After the court hearings, the jury declared Skeet guilty of the crime. Rob did not believe his father could commit such a heinous crime. However, as a kid, he could do only so much to help his old man. Jackie did not want Rob to live in the shadows of his father’s reputation. So, she gave him her last name. Then, in 1994, Rob (Chance K Smith) enrolled in the St. Benedict Prep School.
During the induction of colored students, Father Leahy (Michael Kelly) asked the pupils about the most important thing they could learn there. Someone mentioned kindness, while someone else mentioned fearlessness. Rob looked at the prep school’s motto, ‘Whatever hurts my brother hurts me,’ and mentioned ‘brotherhood.’ Father Leahy admired Rob’s intuition.
Skeet’s Release from Prison
While starting at St. Benedict Prep School, Rob thinks about helping his father escape prison. He meets Skeet in the prison to discuss post-conviction relief since the prosecutors earlier violated Skeet’s right to a speedy trial. Thanks to Rob’s conviction and research, Skeet gets out of prison. Rob continues earning money by doing minor chores to help with his finances. Later, he receives an approval letter for his Yale University application. However, Skeet faces more prison time around this time due to the prosecution’s appeal. So, Rob suddenly decides to enroll in a nearby university to help his father with the legal procedure.
Jackie is against Rob’s sacrificial idea. She doesn’t want him to abandon a golden opportunity to be in an Ivy League university. Besides, his prep school agrees to pay for his education. Skeet convinces Rob to go to Yale and build a future for himself. Rob becomes friends with Jeff Hobbs (Benjamin Papac) in his biology class there. Jeff wants to be a writer but agrees to this education to honor his father’s wishes.
As Rob gets immersed in his studies and college life, he gets distant from his father, who returns to prison upon the prosecution’s appeal. At the university, Rob notices both subtle and blunt signs of racism. Rob becomes friends with a group of students (who aren’t white) and discusses how they choose to deal with the ignorance of white students. Instead of spending time educating others, Rob wants to use the earned opportunity to learn more.
Rob’s Time at Yale
While back in New Jersey, Rob’s father expects Rob to help him get out. His close friends, Tavarus Heston (Curt Morlaye) and Curtis Gamble (Caleb Ebernhardt), work with the available jobs to make ends meet. Back at Yale, Professor Durham (Mare Winningham) sees potential in Rob. So, she allows him some additional benefits at the science lab. While Rob’s friends, Oswaldo Gutierrez (Juan Castano) and Naya Vazquez (Camila Cabello), build their safe spaces, Rob invites some white frats. He stands up for integration backed by his rational understanding of Science.
Later, at the lab, a white student questions Rob’s intelligence based on his appearance. Professor Durham stands up for Rob to not let this repeat. Eventually, he learns that his father is ordered to finish his remaining sentence as per the initial trial. So, Rob contacts a lawyer for legal aid. However, the lawyer puts a seed of doubt in Rob’s mind: what if his father isn’t innocent? Until then, Rob had never asked Skeet whether he had committed the said crime or not.
The lawyer mentions a lack of concrete evidence to prove a reasonable doubt for Skeet. However, Rob holds Skeet in high regard. He doesn’t believe Skeet can be violent. Back home, Jackie tells him otherwise. She reveals that Skeet was occasionally violent toward her. That’s why she did not want them to stay under the same roof. It makes Rob reevaluate his stance on his father.
Rob’s Drug Sale
After learning about his father’s possible inclination to violence, Rob returns to Yale and opens up to his then-girlfriend, Naya. Soon, he discovers that Skeet has brain cancer. Since he studies cancer at Yale, he plans to help Skeet. To pay the bills for Skeet’s treatment, Rob decides to use his lab equipment to cook drugs. He returns to Yale and starts selling them across the campus. While Rob earns enough to pay for Skeet’s treatment, it strains his relationship with Naya. She does not want him to get down this path. Earlier, he claimed he did not wish to progress just for the right to sell drugs. So, Naya finds his choices somewhat hypocritical.
Naya believes Rob will never get out of his desire to earn easy money off drugs. So, she distances herself from him. After Rob meets his goals, he stops selling the drugs. During a party, Jeff praises Rob for his ability to unite people effortlessly. Shortly after, the university authorities get a hint of Rob’s business and come to investigate. They cannot find any drugs or drug money. Although Rob graduated, he did not get Professor Durham’s recommendation for the post-grad program. After graduation, Naya plans to return to Rio to help her mother with an NGO. It shatters Rob’s dreams of a future with her.
Rob Peace (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
After graduating from Yale, Rob returns to Newark. He meets his father to finally have a conversation about the crime. Rob asks Skeet if he is guilty of killing the two women. Rob’s lack of faith breaks Skeet’s heart. Soon, he passes away. After his death, Rob starts working at the St. Benedict’s Prep School, sharing his knowledge with the teenagers. Later, he meets Oswaldo to discuss a proposal to use abandoned buildings from his neighborhood, like Skeet’s old house, and put them to better use than being a nest for drug traffickers. Oswaldo mentions the financial challenges, but Rob finds ways to overcome them.
Why does Rob start a charitable business in Newark?
Rob’s time at the prep school has taught him not to think about an individual but the collective gain. So, he looks at this project with Oswaldo as a way to help his neighborhood. However, Jackie and Father Leary think Rob should not stop his academic progress due to some pitfalls he faced before. Rob decides to pursue post-graduation. However, in 2008, his project was hit by the global financial crisis. Now, he must find a way to help Tavarus and Curtis, who loaned him money. Around this time, he meets Michael & Sheila Tucker, who shed light on his father’s case.
Turns out, there was enough evidence for reasonable doubt for Skeet. However, the police wanted to close the case as soon as possible. Later, the cops threatened the Tuckers not to reveal the truth. Although Jackie knew about the proof, she hid it from Rob, thinking it was for the greater good. While processing this new information, Rob gears up to return the money he owes. For that, he decides to sell drugs again and a lot in a short time. He confidently hires mules to sell the drugs on the street. However, his drugs start cutting shares of other drug traders. So, they catch one of his mules and threaten him.
What happens toward the end of Rob Peace’s life?
After sending his mules to sell drugs, Rob prepares his mission statement for the PHD program. He talks about his passion for science and what it means to him. Meanwhile, one of Rob’s hired mules gets caught by the mules of another drug trader. They force him to bring them to his supplier. Rob and Curtis notice their mule outside the house. However, Rob decides not to take his gun and gets shot by the other mules. Curtis manages to escape and save his life. Tavarus gets the money Rob owed him earlier. However, Rob dies at the hands of drug mules, who rob him of an illustrious life in the field of Science.
Rob Peace (2024) Movie True Story Explained:
Written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, “Rob Peace” is a biographical drama based on “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace,” a biography written by Jeff Hobbs. Hobbs was Peace’s friend and college roommate at Yale. Hobbs’s book chronicles Rob’s true story and shares details about his financial struggles and, most importantly, his love and interest in Science. As the book reveals, Mr. Peace was affected by multiple systemic issues, be it the housing market, financial collapse, or racial prejudices.
