The Hate U Give

When an African-American teenage girl is witness to a police shooting, the subsequent turmoil proves traumatising yet empowering in this adaptation of Angie Thomas's Young Adult bestseller. Amandla Stenberg (The Darkest Minds) plays the 16-year-old leading a double life before the incident, at home in her run-down, occasionally dangerous black community, yet having to tone down her "ghetto" identity at the posh white school she attends at the behest of her socially ambitious mum. When tragic events push her into the glare of publicity, she really finds out who her friends are, and experiences first-hand the bitter realities of divided Trump-era America. Identity politics, the continuing blight of illegal narcotics and the institutional racism of law enforcement are just some of the complex themes tackled here, in a film which is intended for teen viewers but never talks down to that demographic. Instead, it offers a clear-eyed survey of an undeniably gnarly social situation, topped with a positive message about the potential of youth to avoid the missteps of previous generations. Stenberg's nuanced yet defiant central turn shines with star-making potential.