Directed by F. Gary Gray, Straight Outta Compton brilliantly depicts the rise and fall of the Westcoast gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A.
Priemeiring on August 11, 2015 in Los Angeles, and in the US on August 14, Straight Outta Compton takes the strength of street knowlege to a different level. Unlike most biographical films, this film reads between the lines and gives detailed reenactments of all emotional scenerios that occurred back then.
From the fiery anger toward law eforement that inspired the controverisal “F**k Tha Police” , to the unpredicted development of Eazy E’s solo hit “Boyz In The Hood”, the film takes a candid look at each member’s humble beginnings, the brotherly bond that brought them together, and the manipulative greed that ripped them apart.
The casting for this film was nothing short of outstanding as O’Shea Jackson, Jr. gave a stellar portrayal of his real life dad Ice Cube. From his signature snarl, to his boisterous voice, to his uncanny resemblence, Jackson literally became his father in this film. With acting ability so superb, it’s hard to believe that this was his first film.
In addition, Corey Hawkins doesn’t disappoint as production mastermind Dr. Dre, while Jason Mitchell gave a rousing yet emotional portrayal of the late Eazy-E. In addition, Neil Brown Jr’s comical quirks as DJ Yella were delightful while Aldis Hodge remained believable as the group’s laid back, fellow lyricist MC Ren. Other stand out performances included Paul Giamatti as the group’s cutthroat manager, Jerry Heller and R. Marcus Taylor who was ever so convincing as the menacing Death Row Records label head Suge Knight.
Shown in over 2,000 theaters, Straight Outta Compton generated an estimated $24.3 million on its opening day, which is the fourth biggest August opening in history. During its opening weekend, the film earned an estimated $60.2 million, finishing first at the box office. It took in another $7.47 million on Monday.
Straight Outta Compton is in theaters now.
