The Hate U Give [DVD] [2018]

Phenomenal movie about racism and hate. Must See!!

An excellent 4K presentation of a very current social drama. I chose not to read the book, but after finishing the movie, I am reconsidering it. I was very moved by the film, which speaks on all the big issues of the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality, and on a subtler level, the difficulty experienced by people who live in two different worlds. Young actress Amandla Stenberg carries the film in the lead role of Starr Carter, who goes to a mostly White school and adopts another persona than when she’s in her Black community. The film reminds me in part of dramas of the ‘90s like Boyz N the Hood or Juice, but has a more feminine perspective and acknowledges the 25 (or more) years in which the system has failed to improve in delivering justice to communities of color. When Starr reconnects with her friend Khalil after a party, he tells her about the message he learned from Tupac Shakur’s T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. philosophy, which sounded brutal to a lot of audiences who misunderstood, but the beginning of the acronym serves here as the title of the film, The Hate U Give—and how that hate plants itself in young people to make them destructive, especially self-destructive. A tragedy sends repercussions through both of Starr’s worlds, and as her testimony in a criminal cases brings threats to her doorstep, she also finds that not all of her White friends are as concerned about justice as she is. The same ideological divides that saw a peak clash in 2020—with Black Lives Matter challenged by Blue Lives Matter—plays out on the screen in this film, and while it doesn’t try to portray an equality to both arguments, it certainly makes it clear why the film and its characters take the stand that it chooses. What might have seemed far more challenging to White audiences in 2018 should be more understandable to those who have seen the outrage over George Floyd’s and Breona Taylor’s murders escalate, and I invite anyone who wants to learn more about the frustration behind the Black Lives Matter movement to watch the film and hopefully see things in a new way. As a film, it’s extremely well made, based on the novel by Angie Thomas and directed by George Tillman, Jr., (Notorious, Men of Honor) and with veteran performers like Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Anthony Mackie, and Common. It’s one of the most moving films I’ve seen in the past year, as well as one of the most insightful; the importance of these issues just two years after it was made shouldn’t be ignored.

Good movie. This movie intends to place a mirror in the face of the wrong- doer from the prospective of the victim. It hopes to spark humanity into the mind of a fellow human. Cultures and traditions may be observed differently, however we all share the the same human experience under the same natural and spiritual laws. This should establish a common ground.

Really good movie, beautifully acted and powerful in every way.

This movie regardless of your race will open your eyes to the hate that this world teaches. We all deserve equality and equal rights no matter your skin tone or financial status. When we started checking boxes to "identify" our "race" that's one thing we all got wrong. We are the Human race and it's time we all fight for each other! Amandla is such a beautiful and talented actress and I'm so glad she did this movie. I hope everyone sees this film and acknowledges their part in this and hopefully we can make this world a better place for everybody

This movie has a good storyline. The actors are phenomenal!!! A young teenager (Starr) lives to different lifestyles attending school with the rich kids on the nicer side of town but she lives in a crazier part of town. One night Starr attends a house party with her friend from The neighborhood and ends up leaving the party with a close friend she grew up with only to be pulled over and killed by a police officer. The movie is based on The trouble with the system and that justice is not always served.

I watched this movie with my preteen son when it was on a streaming platform. The tradition in our family is we always give books and movies as stocking stuffers and this was what he wanted. Good movie that is suitable for young adults. Very relevant to the social unrest that is happening today.

This is something I rarely do when it comes to books being adapted into movies: watch the movie before reading the book (I read the book afterward). Regardless, The Hate U Give is the kind of movie that the younger audience need to see based on not only police shootings in America but being young and black in America. Amandla Stenberg has come a long way from playing Rue in The Hunger Games. Her performance was phenomenal to watch. A minor issue with the movie is that the language and some other content was toned down compared to the book (obviously to keep a PG-13 rating), but it doesn't hinder the overall impact this movie provides. Overall, this was a great movie, and I would even recommend reading the book as well.