The fall movie, The Hate U Give, follows 16-year-old Starr Carter who lives in a predominantly black neighborhood, Garden Heights, but attends a largely white, private school called Williamson.  She battles with being one of the only black students there.

    During the weekend while hanging out with her childhood friend Khalil, they are pulled over by a police officer. Instead of obeying the officer, Khalil back talks and is rude. When asked to step out of the car and put his hands up, Khalil reaches into the driver side window to pick up his hairbrush. This is when the officer assumes it’s a weapon and shoots Khalil, killing him.

    Starr has to go through the struggle of watching her friend die and whether or not to speak up against the injustice of death. The story is an extremely relevant topic in today’s America and is a real eye-opener for those who don’t truly realize what families and black people around the US have to go through after an unarmed person is shot.

    The movie addresses topics like racism in America, the Black Lives Matter movement, and what it means to be a black person in today’s society. The movie mentions other shooting of young black men like Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. It shows that the reality of these shootings is that they are unnecessary and cops are depicted as racist because of the unfairness of how so many get killed.

    This movie is a sensitive subject for many people nowadays and taking the time to go out, watch the movie, and sympathize with the characters is so important because this is an issue that numerous people must go through. It’s vital to take the time and realize what is happening in the world around you and try to make a change.

    The actual film itself was made beautifully and so emotionally moving, especially if you have any relation to the topic personally. The cinematography made it realistic and extremely insightful. I haven’t watched a movie similar to this besides documentaries that just state facts. This is a realistic fiction and is different to see a story like this from an individual perspective. Rate: 4 out of 5 stars.