Written by: Kevin Berge
When did Common become the character actor to go to for every major 2018 film? (Image Courtesy of: hollywoodreporter.com)
Quick Take: The Hate U Give has the melodrama of a YA novel coupled with the intelligence and valuable insight of a movie about race relations in the aftermath of a police shooting. While emotionally manipulative in parts, it is largely a powerful, satisfying, and accessible exploration of an important topic.
***This review will not contain spoilers beyond basic story set-up and can be read by those who have not seen the movie yet though those who want to go into the movie completely blind will want to skip this review.***
The Hate U Give comes off on the surface like an attempt to cash in on the current trend of movies focusing on police shootings. It is a teenage angle on a concept that has been explored brilliantly just in the last year that could have easily been a watered down take on America.
However, in part thanks to the brilliant perspective afforded to the film by the novel writer Angie Thomas and the emotional direction of George Tillman Jr. (Notorious), this is not just another film added to the discussion but the most accessible creation in recent years to discuss exactly how racial difference matters in the United States today.
The Hate U Give focuses on Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg), a high school student caught between two worlds as she tries to find success in white middle America while living in a poor black neighborhood run by the gang The King Lords. Her perspective shifts after she witnesses a childhood friend gunned down by a police officer.
The set up works, creating a teenage-focused YA setting to explore a complex and rampant issue in America. This was never a film that wanted to outshine BlacKkKlansman or Blindspotting, but it does outshine both better films by distilling its message simply through common emotion.
If I wanted a younger audience to distill into a younger audience exactly how important it is to take racial bias seriously, I would show them this film. It takes shortcuts to reach its points certainly, but it makes those points with memorable clarity. It is easily one of the most engagingly emotional film released this year.
The shortcuts the movie takes are mostly down to the genre. As a YA film, this is focused on how a teenager processes hatred and violence. It goes big when subtlety would have been more effective and forces out tears through the sheer force of emotional resonance.
The Hate U Give comes off on the surface like an attempt to cash in on the current trend of movies focusing on police shootings. It is a teenage angle on a concept that has been explored brilliantly just in the last year that could have easily been a watered down take on America.
However, in part thanks to the brilliant perspective afforded to the film by the novel writer Angie Thomas and the emotional direction of George Tillman Jr. (Notorious), this is not just another film added to the discussion but the most accessible creation in recent years to discuss exactly how racial difference matters in the United States today.
The Hate U Give focuses on Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg), a high school student caught between two worlds as she tries to find success in white middle America while living in a poor black neighborhood run by the gang The King Lords. Her perspective shifts after she witnesses a childhood friend gunned down by a police officer.
The set up works, creating a teenage-focused YA setting to explore a complex and rampant issue in America. This was never a film that wanted to outshine BlacKkKlansman or Blindspotting, but it does outshine both better films by distilling its message simply through common emotion.
If I wanted a younger audience to distill into a younger audience exactly how important it is to take racial bias seriously, I would show them this film. It takes shortcuts to reach its points certainly, but it makes those points with memorable clarity. It is easily one of the most engagingly emotional film released this year.
The shortcuts the movie takes are mostly down to the genre. As a YA film, this is focused on how a teenager processes hatred and violence. It goes big when subtlety would have been more effective and forces out tears through the sheer force of emotional resonance.
Is it a usual thing for house parties to be lit by pure red light? I need to go to different house parties apparently. (Image Courtesy of: hollywoodreporter.com)
The acting in this movie is largely fine, but no one stands out distinctly. Amandla Stenberg (Everything, Everything) does not always come off as authentic in her delivery of sometimes complex dialogue. Russell Hornsby (Lincoln Heights) gives the role as Starr's father a strong emotional edge but does not make the character feel fully realized.
George Tillman Jr. though does everything right to make the movie shine through. He keeps the actors focused in the most important moments, and he guides the screenplay adaptation by Audrey Wells (Guinevere) with focus to the point that it is easy to forgive limited plot threads.
It is his focus as the man behind the camera that makes this such an emotional ride. He has the experience to pull the audience in and to distill complex issues down to simple words and symbols. This may be the best work of his career and should lead to some recognition down the line.
As a whole, The Hate U Give feels genuinely hopeful. It gives a positive message about how to move on from trauma and embrace fighting injustice. Moreover, it adds clarity to the idea that race matters because it defines culture and individuality but cannot be used to define how we treat each other.
We should be long past the biases that lead to wrongful police shootings, but we aren't. Therefore, it is vitally important that everyone understand how we can get past that bias. It cannot be ignored. It cannot just be angrily shouted down.
There are those who will see this movie and realize their mistakes. They'll begin to take the steps necessary to stop bias from plaguing generations to come. It all starts with the youth who this movie so clearly speaks to. If this movie helps just a few young kids, it was a success, and I think it will help more than a few.
George Tillman Jr. though does everything right to make the movie shine through. He keeps the actors focused in the most important moments, and he guides the screenplay adaptation by Audrey Wells (Guinevere) with focus to the point that it is easy to forgive limited plot threads.
It is his focus as the man behind the camera that makes this such an emotional ride. He has the experience to pull the audience in and to distill complex issues down to simple words and symbols. This may be the best work of his career and should lead to some recognition down the line.
As a whole, The Hate U Give feels genuinely hopeful. It gives a positive message about how to move on from trauma and embrace fighting injustice. Moreover, it adds clarity to the idea that race matters because it defines culture and individuality but cannot be used to define how we treat each other.
We should be long past the biases that lead to wrongful police shootings, but we aren't. Therefore, it is vitally important that everyone understand how we can get past that bias. It cannot be ignored. It cannot just be angrily shouted down.
There are those who will see this movie and realize their mistakes. They'll begin to take the steps necessary to stop bias from plaguing generations to come. It all starts with the youth who this movie so clearly speaks to. If this movie helps just a few young kids, it was a success, and I think it will help more than a few.
