A lifelong friendship fuels the chemistry of ‘Blindspotting’

NEW YORK (AP) — “Blindspotting” is the product of a unique creative duo: actor-rapper Daveed Diggs, a Tony winner for “Hamilton,” and spoken-word artist Rafael Casal.

Set in a gentrifying Oakland, California, and performed partly in verse, “Blindspotting” is earning buzz for the onscreen chemistry between the two men that gives the movie its energy. That chemistry is fueled by a nearly two-decade offscreen friendship, and a creative synergy that both consider remarkable.

Diggs and Casal attended high school together, then reconnected years later. They worked on “Blindspotting” for nearly a decade.

The 36-year-old Diggs plays a young black man with three days left of probation, who witnesses a disturbing police shooting. The 32-year-old Casal plays his mercurial, unpredictable best friend.

The film opens in limited release Friday and nationwide on July 27.