Snitch

Author and filmmaker Mattison's sophomore outing reads like it's ready for screen adaptation. The action starts with the bang of a gun: bus driver Andre Bolden sees a man shot to death, and the shooter sees that Andre sees. Then the character drama unrolls, slowly and surely. Andre is a gifted writer and athlete stuck driving a bus; he's still in love with Sandra, the ex-girlfriend he left, and he's also attached to their young son, whom Sandra is raising. Andre had a history of bad but understandable choices, and now he faces a major moral dilemma: if he doesn't tell what he saw, he loses his job and his self-respect. If he does, he puts his own life—and his loved ones—in danger. Mattison's host of minor characters are good and bad guys, and all have their backstories and their reasons. Christian elements are an organic part of a story that offers no cheap hope. Mattison (Unsigned Hype) has a superb ear, and his skill keeps on growing. (May)