Review of Straight Outta Compton (2015) by Dustin D — 28 Nov 2018

Straight Outta Compton is an interesting movie, even if you're not a fan of NWA or gangsta rap. It is impossible not to feel something as you watch it, whether it is disgust at the rappers' excessive lifestyles, anger at the arbitrary treatment of black men by the police, or uneasiness about their sleazy manager. Different audiences will probably have different reactions, but they will all have a reaction, which is what makes this a good movie in my opinion. My only main criticism is, like most biopics, it feels reductive. It might have been better focused to avoid this.

The casting was also spot-on, particularly Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, who pretty much carries the movie. O'Shea Jackson, Jr., benefits mostly from looking like Ice Cube, but his lifetime of studying his character first-hand also lends credibility.