Straight Outta Compton

In 1987, five young men, using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Taking us back to where it all began, Straight Outta Compton tells the true story of how these cultural rebels—armed only with their lyrics, swagger, bravado and raw talent—stood up to the authorities that meant to keep them down and formed the world’s most dangerous group, N.W.A. And as they spoke the truth that no one had before and exposed life in the hood, their voice ignited a social revolution that is still reverberating today.

F. Gary Gray's N.W.A. biopic earns wide approval for its electric early passages — the group's rise from Compton, the performances from a young cast, and the music itself — but critics consistently found the second half sagging under its own weight, turning sentimental and bloated as it navigates Eazy-E's decline, business disputes with Jerry Heller, and story threads the runtime can't fully contain. Several critics also noted that the film sidesteps uncomfortable truths about the group's misogyny and homophobia in favor of a more comfortable mythology.