When I’m watching a reality show contest with the promise of breaking you into show business, I wonder what happened to the previous winners. Did they get a real break? Back in 2004, Soapnet (the channel that showed afternoon soap operas in the evening) had a series called I Wanna Be a Soap Star. The big prize was a 13-week contract on General Hospital. The winner was Mykel Shannon Jenkins. He played a cop for his initial contract. The producers extended the role after the prize time ran out. When his character got shot up, Jenkins found himself on The Bold and the Beautiful for five years. Winning the contest did open doors for him in Hollywood as he appeared on shows such as Ugly Betty, Charmed and CSI: Miami. All good actors in the business want to make their own movie. They have been pecking away on a script between gigs. They also want to direct and star in the film, so it doesn’t get ruined. Mykel Shannon Jenkins was an actor who not only had the script, but fulfilled his dream with The Gods, a film about crime and passion.
Mikey James (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) and his brothers Bobby (The Gods 2: The Dark Side‘s Casey Ford Alexander) and Keith (Sinners’ Nicoye Banks) have been working for gangsters all their lives. They are ready to go straight and split from mobster Pops Fasano (Dumb Luck in Vegas‘ Talbot Perry Simons). They’re lining up a massive loan to fund their business plan. But there’s one major hurdle from splitting with the Italian crime family. Turns out Mikey has been quietly dating Pops’ daughter Sofia Fasano (Station 19 & Grey’s Anatomy‘s Stefania Spampinato). When this affair comes to Pops’ attention, he’s not happy. His anger covers various levels from her dating one of the workers to the fact that Mikey is black. Pops was about to get her more involved in the family business. Now what is he going to do if she refuses to stay away from Mikey. The seemingly doomed romance between Mikey and Sofia is going to mess up the plans for everyone connected to them.
A wise actor who wants to make his own movie understands the limitations of such a project if they’re doing it at an indie level. They figure out how to minimalize the budget and maximize what is shown on screen. Mykel Shannon Jenkins accomplishes this by getting the camera tight his actors so they’re all showing emotions as they deal with an incendiary love that will tear apart two families. He’s not there to reference complicated camera shots from Scarface. He’s focused on making his own gangster tale. He also knows that the big draw is going to be the romantic pull between Mikey and Sofia and not the flashy gangster life. This isn’t a film that dazzles us with tricks and eye candy. What keeps The Gods interesting is the fear and tension that Mikey and Sofia won’t make it as couple because someone is going to pull the trigger on one or both them.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The images look sharp on the screen. The Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. You’ll hear the soft talking of a few of the characters. No subtitles.
No bonus features.
Dreamscape Media presents The Gods. Directed by Mykel Shannon Jenkins. Screenplay by Mykel Shannon Jenkins. Starring Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Stefania Spampinato, Ernest Thomas & Kevin Interdonato. Running Time: 97 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: September 16, 2025.
