Hawkins, Mitchell and Jackson Jr put in excellent performances, with the latter's resemblance to his father so remarkable as to make his scenes feel more documentary than recreation. In light of the shocking number of black deaths at the hands of police this year alone, it’s a tragically timeless sentiment that continues to resonate with an especial significance. Gary Gray ( The Italian Job), Straight Outta Compton doesn’t push the genre in any new directions but does a superb job of keeping the focus on the chemistry and appeal of its leading men. Its earliest scenes are easily its strongest, chronicling the group’s formation and revealing how the constant police harassment contributed to not just NWA’s message and appeal but also its most iconic song ('Fuck the Police'). Straight Outta Compton, then, is not just an NWA biopic but a cautionary tale about loyalty, friendship and the corrosive effects of celebrity.ĭirected by F. It also came at a price, however, because not all streets are the same, and when Crenshaw Boulevard became Rodeo Drive, the blinders and shortcomings of that knowledge became all too apparent. The ‘street knowledge’ of NWA’s leading trio - Dr Dre (played by Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson Jr, playing his real-life father) and Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell) - was an affront to the establishment, a threat, even, but also helped facilitate the group's rapid rise from neighbourhood group to musical ascendancy.Īcquired over two decades of daily exposure to gang violence, racial vilification and police persecution, it instilled in them a bravado, passion and unyielding determination that permitted neither retreat nor weakness. So begins both the film and the song ‘Straight Outta Compton’, and it’s equal parts preview and warning.
“You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.”
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