The Banker (2020 film)

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The Banker is a 2020 American period drama directed by George Nolfi. It stars Anthony Mackie as Bernard Garrett, Samuel L. Jackson as Joe Morris, Nicholas Hoult as Matt Steiner, Nia Long as Eunice Garrett, and Jessie T. Usher in a supporting role. The film is based on the real story of Garrett and Morris, two Black men who become influential bankers during a time of heavy racial discrimination.

Plot
In 1954 Los Angeles, Bernard Garrett faces racism as he tries to invest in real estate. He partners with Joe Morris, and they enlist a white frontman, Matt Steiner (played by Nicholas Hoult), to help them buy and fix up properties and to show that their plans can work. Their success helps integrate neighborhoods by selling and renting to Black families. Believing in broader opportunities, they set their sights on a bank in Texas to provide loans to Black residents. Matt uses his own money to buy the bank and run it for them, but a racist bank executive notices their scheme and starts gathering evidence. The situation escalates into legal trouble, and Matt reluctantly takes a plea deal to protect his partners. Bernard and Joe are convicted and serve time. After release, they move to the Bahamas in homes bought with money Matt had set aside for them.

Production and release
George Nolfi directed and helped write the screenplay. Filming occurred in Georgia, with locations around Atlanta, Douglasville, and Newnan. Apple TV+ distributed the movie. The film’s world premiere was initially planned for AFI Fest in 2019 but was canceled after sexual assault allegations against a producer. The Banker finally released in limited theaters on March 6, 2020, and streamed digitally on March 20, 2020.

Reception
The film received generally positive notes for its ensemble performances. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds about 79% approval from critics, with praise often aimed at the central trio’s performances. Metacritic shows a more mixed reception, with a score around 59 out of 100.