There’s something powerful about watching our stories on screen — not watered down, not filtered, not rewritten for somebody else’s comfort. That’s exactly what the screening of Tyrant: Like Father, Like Son represents for Chicago.
Streaming now on Tubi, this series is rooted right here on the Westside of Chicago. Not the postcard version. Not the skyline. The real neighborhoods. The real energy. The real tension. The real love.
At the center is a father returning home from prison to find that while he was gone, his son grew into the very thing he hoped to protect him from. It’s a story many in our city understand without needing long explanations. Generational cycles. Absence. Survival. Pride. Redemption. But what makes this moment bigger than the storyline itself is who is behind it.
Bo Deal isn’t just producing content. He’s building platforms. He’s creating opportunity. He’s hiring Chicago talent. He’s putting local celebrities, creatives, and everyday people in position to tell their own truths. That matters.
Too often, Chicago stories are told by outsiders. The trauma is sensationalized. The violence is highlighted. The humanity gets edited out. What Tyrant does differently is give voice to the pain many of us carry quietly — fathers trying to reconnect, sons trying to survive, families navigating systems that were never designed for them to win.
And to premiere during Black History Month on February 21, 2026? That’s intentional. Black history isn’t just about the past. It’s about present-day creators choosing to document our realities in real time. It’s about economic empowerment through film. It’s about ownership of narrative.
This screening isn’t just a movie night. It’s a statement.
It says Chicago creatives don’t have to wait to be discovered.
It says our pain deserves context.
It says our stories deserve platforms.
It says the Westside isn’t invisible.
There’s something special about seeing familiar faces, familiar blocks, familiar struggles — and knowing that the people behind the camera understand the weight of it all.
Bo Deal is doing more than directing scenes. He’s opening doors. And in a city where opportunity can feel limited depending on your zip code, that kind of leadership hits different.
Black History Month is about legacy. And legacy looks like building lanes so the next generation doesn’t have to start from scratch.
Tyrant: Like Father, Like Son is part of that legacy.
Chicago, this one is ours.
