The Hate U Give (2018)

[baumer]

Discuss

[filmlover]

Pretty powerful and thoughtful stuff for something that began as a YA novel. Don't let its origins fool you, for The Hate U Give has a lot to say about a lot of timely and important topics: about race relations in the US, injustice, white privilege, personal empowerment, and standing up for those no longer here and proving that their loss wasn't for nothing without ever sermonizing to the audience, and also offers complex characterization. This isn't based on a true story, but the senseless loss of life is very much real. Amandla Stenberg is a rising young actress best known for playing Rue in the first Hunger Games. That will change after this. It's a terrific and moving performance, conveying Starr's growth as the result of tragedy with conviction, and it's a shame she won't get Oscar attention even though she should, while an excellent supporting cast (including Russell Hornsby, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, and Common) back her up. For a movie that deals with such heavy topics, it's also not afraid to indulge in some humor from time to time (when Starr brings her white boyfriend home to meet her family and her father discovers she's dating a white guy: ), in a move to illustrate that from any tragedy, light can emerge. And that's why this makes for essential viewing for everyone, regardless of their age or skin color. A-

[DAJK]

Who the heck gave this a D???

 

Anyways, extremely powerful movie. Absolute monster performances from the entire cast, the script is fantastic, and the direction is crisp and well-coordinated. The movie is excellently paced, and gives important to every single one of its characters.

But where the movie really shines is in its powerful themes. It doesn't portray itself as a black-and-white good vs evil film, but rather paints a picture of society and displays some honest truths that we can all learn from regardless of ethnicity, culture, beliefs, or attitude. There's not a single wasted moment here, and everything works perfectly to create not just satisfying and hut-wrenching viewing that is ABSOLUTLEY worth a trip to the theatre, but to be an experience that will really stick with you looooong after the credits role.

 

A

[filmlover]

7 hours ago, DAJK said:

Who the heck gave this a D???

Looking at the poll results, how unsurprising. 

[Noctis]

Absolutely loved this. Amanda is phenomenal, and this movie could have gone wrong in so many ways but the filmmakers did such a great job. 

 

A