Here we go again: another vital slice of cinema that's worth a couple of hours of anyone's time. This is a teen movie that packs an exceptional punch as it deals with a major issue in the USA, the killing of young black men by police officers.
It's a situation that's created the Black Lives Matter movement, caused ructions amongst NFL types as players take the knee in protest when the American national anthem is played pre-game. The situation has also of course given a platform to racist morons who are offended by African-Americans standing up for themselves.
It's a right mess.
Into this world steps Starr Carter, a black teenager played with outrageous ease by Amandla Stenberg, who is surely destined for great things on the back of an astonishing performance in this incendiary movie.
Starr is constantly switching between two very different worlds. On one hand there's the poor, mostly black, neighbourhood where she lives and was brought up.
Then there's the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends, where her white, middle-class school mates play gangster with slang and buzzwords. She knows she could never bring any of them home.
One night at a party, she bumps into a childhood friend, Khalil. There's a shooting incident at the party, and the cocky Khalil drives off with Starr for safety. But then they cross paths with a nervous white cop, who ends up shooting Khalil dead when he thinks the latter's reaching for a gun.
It's a familiar narrative for anyone with even just a passing interest in US current affairs. However, this story brings it home in a hard-hitting way, as Starr faces the dilemma of either standing up to defend her dead friend, which could have a disastrous effect on her school status. The other option is denying him for a quiet life.
It's a compelling tale that's told with great energy and self-righteous anger, thanks largely to the deft skills of director George Tillman Jr. You get the impression that everyone involved in this film feels passionately about the subject matter.
Adapted from the best-selling book of the same name by Angie Thomas, this is a powerful film that brings the subject matter across the Atlantic and sharply into focus.
