Still, a small level of stereotypes about Black women persist. Rather, their romantic interests-Starr’s boyfriend Chris (KJ Apa) and Lisa’s husband Maverick-feel drawn to precisely due to their strength. Starr and her mother Lisa (Regina Hall) have dominant personalities that are never portrayed as a threat to the masculinity of the men in their lives. The Hate U Give shines by giving Black women a voice. Assessment: 36% of key cast and crew members were women. As Starr states in the film, “It’s the hate WE give that fucks little infants” and when she is finally able to break the cycle of unrelenting anger, the film achieves its most lasting impression.
Rather than simply pointing out the systemic corruption that allows for the senseless murder of Black bodies, The Hate U Give looks inward and focuses on the corrosive nature of hatred, no matter how understandable its origins are. In its delivery, the film goes beyond other fictionalized depictions of police brutality, such as the problematic torture porn of Detroit or the deeply moving, but single episode of “Chapter V” from Netflix’s Dear White People. Thankfully, momentum picks back up towards its final act, as we see Starr blossom from a tentative young woman into someone capable of leading a protest outside City Hall, megaphone in hand.Ĭulminating in a finale that bursts with pent-up emotion, I still find myself overwhelmed by the lingering messages of The Hate U Give. Regardless its subject matter, however, emotions and momentum run high-at least, until the narrative stutters midway through, where a stronger editing hand could have been used as dialogue begins to repeat itself. Not only does the film address police brutality, it also weaves in topics of interracial dating, drug dealing within the Black community, and activism. This chemistry, such as the relationship between between Starr and her father Maverick (Russell Hornsby), proves pivotal to the film’s ability to make you care about the people whose lives we see affected by societal injustices. Without a doubt, she acts as the glue of Tillman Jr.’s work-not unlike her character, who holds her family together. Starr emotes pure vulnerability, giving audiences the perfect vehicle through which to empathize with the harrowing police brutality that unfolds onscreen. Filmmakers infuse the story with extra depth, thanks to superb acting, especially from Amandla Stenberg who plays the main character Starr. and screenwriter Audrey Wells effortlessly capture the vision of Angie Thomas, the novelist behind the bestselling YA novel from which it’s adapted. In The Hate U Give, director George Tillman Jr. Writers: Screenplay by Audrey Wells ???? based on the novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ????