THE HATE U GIVE

"The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody" is the THUG LIFE concept from Tupac Shakur that George Tillman Jr.'s film, The Hate U Give, lives by. A young adult novel adaptation that doesn't revolve around a love triangle or magical powers of some sorts is quite refreshing, this film instead taking place against a hard-hitting and incredibly relevant subject matter in today's world.

When Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend at the hands of a police officer, her worlds are turned upside down. Choosing to live two separate lives, one back home amongst her friends from the streets of Garden Heights and the other amongst the predominantly white students at Williamson Prep School, Starr faces pressure from both sides of the community and must find her voice to stand up for what is right.

There's no denying that The Hate U Give will well and truly put Amandla Stenberg on the map, her powerhouse performance deserving of much praise. You feel her pain and you feel her fear as she tries to decide how to bring justice to her childhood friend, which is such a tough thing to emote at such a young age. The film relies majorly on her performance and Stenberg ultimately delivers.

She's joined by a supporting cast who all help to deliver the important message this film wants to deliver, none of them letting it down at all. Russell Hornsby is the stand-out from the supporting cast as Starr's father Maverick, the determination he has for his kids not to have the same life he did making him such a likeable character.

Coming to the film's message, The Hate U Give definitely has something to say and for the most part it says it very well however, I felt like there was something missing to turn this into the hard-hitting drama it could have been. There are a few powerful moments but one of the most important moments of the film, the shooting, came like a bolt out of the blue and there was nothing there to make me believe these two characters were best friends from childhood. 

If The Hate U Give is anything to go by, Amandla Stenberg is going to make waves in Hollywood. The film as a whole though left a little to be desired for me. It carries with it a message that makes it a film not to be ignored mind.

Verdict: ★★★