CULTURE

Donald Glover and Rihanna’s Guava Island Is Streaming for Free

The ‘tropical thriller’ premiered on the eve of Coachella

April 13, 2019

Taylor Hill

If you weren’t able to make it Coachella on Thursday, we have some good news. Donald Glover and Rihanna’s mysterious movie, Guava Island, is now available to stream on Amazon after premiering at the desert festival on the eve of Glover’s headlining set. Indeed, it’s available to stream free here until 6 p.m., after which it will be only available to Prime subscribers.

The 54-minute film, which Vanity Fair calls a “tropical thriller,” tells the story of Glover’s Kofi, a singer that falls for a woman named Deni (Rihanna). Together, they embark on a whirlwind romance as Kofi’s star begins to rise, and external forces threaten their relationship. We’re happy to report that Glover does perform some music in the film, including Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” and “Feels Like Summer.” Unfortunately, Rihanna is in full actor mode and reportedly doesn’t sing in the film. Guava Island was written by Glover’s brother Stephen, and directed by Glover’s frequent collaborator Hiro Murai, who also helmed the award-winning video for “This Is America.” The film also reportedly features brand new visuals for Glover’s hit song. Black Panther’s Letitia Wright appears as well.

Details from Thursday’s premiere are scarce, since attendees were forced to hand over their phones before taking their seats in a “jungle-themed” room, per Pitchfork. That kind of airtight security is fitting for a project that has been shrouded in mystery ever since the first trailer debuted late last year. But now that Guava Island has finally seen the light of day, we’re getting more information about its origin story.

According to Vanity Fair, Glover pitched the project to Amazon without so much as a script. But that was enough to convince Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke, who said that she would have committed to Glover “sight unseen.”

“I knew whatever he wanted to amplify would have relevance and be entertaining,” Salke said. “He has that ability to create cultural moments and spread a message that’s interesting.” See that message for yourself, as Guava Island is currently streaming for free on Amazon, and will also stream on Coachella’s YouTube live stream on Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern.