The Hate U Give Review: A Powerful Masterpiece That Deserves Oscar Attention

PG-13: For mature thematic elements, some violent content, drug material and language20th Century Fox, Temple Hill Entertainment2 Hr and 12 Minutes Dir: George Tillman Jr. | Writer: Audrey WellsCast: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby. KJ Apa, Algee Smith, Lamar Johnson, Issa Rae, Sabrina Carpenter, Common, Anthony Mackie, TJ Wright, Dominique Fishback
Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what's right.THE GOODI was unaware that this is based on a YA novel before walking into the film, but it retains elements from its source material where the story is told from Starr’s point of view; it has the same type of descriptive narration as the novel. At times it does border on “Twilight” narration, for we follow a high schooler so she has the mind of one and talks like one, but the character is strong and relatable. I love how Starr is characterized and how she has to step into different bubbles within each environment she’s in. Another aspect to her that I love is her family. For the most part, this is a family drama and the family dynamic is one of the primary emotional centerpieces of the narrative. Not to make a Tupac reference in this review but... all eyes are on them once Khalil is fatally murdered. The pressure is all on the family, specifically Starr, and as an audience member you question what she’s going to do and whether her family is going to survive this event. Enemies rise and target the Carter family because Starr witnessed Khalil’s murder, from the corrupt judicial system to the drug lord that runs the street.
Right off the bat with the first scene, the film brilliantly establishes what kind of story it is going to tell. From that first scene, you immediately get chills down your spine and that bone-chill never lets up throughout the whole 2 hour and 12 minutes of this movie. This is mostly due to the dialogue. The adapted screenplay provided by Audrey Wells is one of the sole carriers of the film because each line of dialogue delivered by each character is strong and gut-wrenching. The way this story is structured and how these people are characterized is magnificent, for I was unable to predict where the film was going to go and where it does is like absolutely nothing I’ve seen before. We’ve had plenty of films with themes of police brutality and racial injustice, but no other film speaks it in a more open accuracy than this, especially in a contemporary setting. As of recent, we’ve only had films set in the past (with modern day parallels) to tell this story (“Blackkklansman”, ”Detroit”) but “The Hate U Give” angrily says, “To hell with that, let us hit home with events that happen in our current climate in our modern day world.” There is no sugar coating in the story for it goes straight for the jugular with it’s message and leaves you teary eyed from beginning to end. Bring your tissues because this is a wild emotional rollercoaster.Throughout his entire career, director George Tillman Jr. has been rising up the ranks with the projects he signs himself onto and this is his best directorial achievement since “Soul Food”. He incorporates the same stylistic flair he has demonstrated in the past, most notably in “Notorious” where the depth of field is played with and has an urban cinematography. Some emotional beats, sequences, and shots are shown in slow motion to jerk the tears out of you or deliver thought-provoking messages that reflect the title of the movie (which happens a lot in this film). I mean, this is the guy who directed the B.I.G biopic and this movie is rooted from the lyrics of a Tupac song. While the film speaks loud with it’s message and is bold about it’s statement, Tillman delivers subtle sequences that are chilling as well. One of the most powerful scenes is one with absolutely no dialogue from the leads, just their reactions walking out of a funeral and into a warzone. Besides that, his direction of his entire cast is exemplary because every single performer delivers moving performances, especially Amandla Stenberg.
To be honest, a part of me was starting to get frustrated seeing Stenberg headline in nothing but YA film adaptations, this included. Unlike some of her past films, most notably, and recently, “The Darkest Minds”, they use her talents to the fullest. She portrays a girl name Starr, but take that last r out and Stenberg shines like one. This is HER movie and, for a 19-year-old, she delivers one of the most captivating performances I’ve seen all year. The story is centered on Starr and her journey to speaking out and finding her voice knowing the consequences she has to face in her life. The film establishes early on that she has to have three different personas in order to just get by. By witnessing her close friend’s murder firsthand, the entire balance of her world is turned upside down where she starts to see people for who they truly are in the midst of being pressured to testify for his unlawful killing. Starr is a 17-year-old girl and you see the trauma on her face and the PTSD that develops. In other films, any given performer would’ve given an over-the-top performance, but Stenberg keeps it grounded and nuanced. There are several sequences where she snaps and fuck, they’re brutal. At some point she transcends from performing and hits the realm of reality. At a certain moment, I stopped seeing Amandla Stenberg the actress (or Rue all grown up), and instead I saw Starr, a relatable character that you root for from beginning to end. This film doesn’t just tell the coming-of-age story of Starr’s personal journey of self-discovery, but also delves into her having to recognize how much difference one voice can make. Stenberg captures all of those characteristics fans of the source material read and flawlessly portrays that character on screen. To quote Allison Janney at the Golden Globes:
I’m going to be bold and state that Stenberg deserves an Oscar nomination for her performance. I wouldn’t say she carries the film with her own two hands, because that would indicate the rest of the cast isn’t as good. So, instead I’ll say that she holds the film down and elevates it to newer heights as it progresses with her performance. The rest of the cast provides a slew of incredible performances. Anthony Mackie is frightening as a drug lord who threatens Starr and her family. You also have KJ Apa (who I couldn’t recognize because he dyed his hair black and isn’t wearing blue) and Issa Rae who plays a lawyer who also is an outspoken advocate. But, the actor who steals each second he has onscreen is Russell Hornsby as Starr’s dad. He may look intimidating but the way his character is written is so powerful and the way he delivers his lines gives you chills.
THE BADAs much as it pains me to say this, there is one scene that gets a bit too sitcom-ish and you can easily tell what it is if you’ve read the book or when a certain character is introduced. While the scene is funny and adds levity to its serious narrative, it gets really telegraphed for about two minutes. It turns from a powerful film to “Guess Who?”
THE RENDYEvery year, as of recent, we have that obligatory Best Picture nominated feature that’s dedicated to Black Cinema. While I did enjoy “Hidden Figures” back in 2016, it didn’t scream Oscar-worthy to me in all honesty. “The Hate U Give”, on the other hand, does. Best Original Song (Arlissa - We Won’t Move)Best Adapted Screenplay (Audrey Wells) Best Actress (Amandla Stenberg)Best Supporting Actor (Russell Hornsby)Best PictureThese are the category nominations I want this film to get when award season comes around. I want this film to stick and obtain those nominations because it earns each ounce of emotion it evokes. Granted it’s not going to win some of the categories because of a certain someone who is also coming out this week:
If this gets snubbed during the Oscar season, I’m going to go on my Spike Lee/Jada Pinkett Smith shit and throw a huge tantrum. This isn’t just a film about the social injustice that occurs around america, and still occurring today, but a moving character story of a girl coming to her own and speaking out for what's right.
This is one of those movies that classes should be taking school trips to go see. This is one of those stories that needs to be seen by the masses. If you are an English teacher at a middle school or high school, definitely go out of your way to take your students to see this because it is incredible.I cried five times while watching this. FIVE TIMES. I’ve never cried that many times during a film (not even with a Pixar movie). I usually do a one-and-done, but “The Hate U Give” had me going at it every 30 minutes or so and it is brutal. This film will break you so brace yourself.LAST STATEMENTWith a relevant theme that accurately strikes it's perfect message and a Starr-bright performance by Amandla Stenberg, “The Hate U Give” is an Oscar-worthy masterpiece that defines power.Rating: 5/5 | 97%Super Scene: Starr rolls out the carpet-on-her.