Diondre Howell, a war veteran with undiagnosed PTSD, finds solace with Fatimah, a young woman in the process of rebuilding her life. Diondre's mother, Zoe, encourages him to find treatment, but he is repeatedly denied health care due to his discharge type from the military: "Other-than-honorable."
As Diondre struggles to cope with his shame and trauma, he must find help before his increasingly self-destructive behavior hurts the people he loves the most - his family.
Three years into my college studies, I dropped out and returned home to live with my family. For several years, I dealt with minor depression as I struggled to find my path in life. As I withdrew, I did what many young African American men do: instead of seeking medical help, I went to church. The pastor would often tell me stories of being a young man in the military, and how his service in the Korean War turned his life around. He insisted that a career in the military would help me too. Advice that many young black men, desperate for direction receive in their youth. One of these individuals is my friend, the basis for the character of Diondre Howell.
As I went back to university to finish my degree, my friend enlisted in the National Guard. Three weeks after my first day of class, the September 11th attacks happened. Shortly after, my friend was deployed to Iraq and he was never the same. I often wondered if this could have been me had I enlisted.
YOUNG KING deals with themes of a culture of toxic masculinity, guns, and religion. This film deals with the fact that the consequences of war never stay confined to a foreign battlefield. The psychological effects of war on the men and women that serve often go under-reported, untreated, and it is the families of soldiers who are the least prepared to deal with these challenging problems.
Vincent Washington (Snowfall, Bad Times at the El Royale)
When we meet Diondre, he is a shell of who he once was before the Iraq War. A mountain of a man with a steely-eyed gase that pierces through you. Diondre experiences strong episodes of psychosis as he struggles to adjust to civilian life in his community. He is the quiet alpha male that dominates every room he enters and those that challenge his authority do so at their own peril. As his condition deteriorates, his mental stability becomes more volatile. His family and friends struggle with how to best help him.
Kirby Griffin (House, Dying to Marry Him)
Fatimah is an immigrant, but more importantly, a survivor of domestic violence. When her husband became abusive, Fatimah left her marriage, seeking refuge and starting a new life at a women's shelter. This is where she meets Diondre.
Fatimah is strong willed, funny, and the center of attention wherever she goes. She is the only presence that can calm Diondre when he experiences his outbursts of anger. It's her caring and altruistic nature that creates a bond between the two.
Tarra Riggs (Ballast, Tremé, The Help)
Zoe Howell is the matriarch of the Howell family. She’s the backbone of the household. In front of family and friends, she creates the facade that her son is well. But she knows something is wrong with her son and seeks help, only to find her calls go unanswered.
No decision in the Howell household is made without her, and no decision is made by anyone but her. She’s overbearing to a fault.
Vaughn Wilkinson (Straight Outta Compton, Rizzoli & Isles)
Diondre’s older brother, with a new family, still has the playful side that Diondre has lost. He's the jokester that always pushes the humor too far making everyone uncomfortable. He's the kind of guy to whom you always regret telling your secrets.
Isaiah is the first to notice that his brother is not the same when Diondre returns from Iraq. He watches as Diondre commits bizarre acts without hesitation. “I don’t know who came back from Iraq, but that's not my brother.”
James Arthur Sims (The Wonder Years, Law & Order)
Diondre’s and Isaias’s father, an old school man with old school values. An empathetic but quiet man. Stong and silent. He has a thousand different smiles, his chosen method of communication. He avoids conflict at all costs, but if left with no option, he will stand up and defends what he believes is right and for those he loves.
