The Breakdown of Black Cinema - 'Da 5 Bloods', 'Fruitvale Station', 'Hustle & Flow', 'Dope' and 'The Hate U Give'

One of the main goals we've had for The Movie Breakdown podcast has been to explore and review a diverse range of movies from all genres and from as many different perspectives and voices as possible. It felt like the right time to devote an episode to five movies that look at Black stories and are either made by black filmmakers or star black leads. A show like this needs to have Spike Lee's latest movie in the returning to Vietnam drama and thriller, Da 5 Bloods. We also have the break-out movie for director Ryan Coogler and lead Michael B Jordan in the based-on tree events drama, Fruitvale Station. Then we have a movie that still explores things like systemic racism and prejudice but also is a thriller and funny coming of age tale in Dope. It wouldn't seem proper to not have a movie with music as a central part, so there is the Terrence Howard starring drama about a pimp and drug dealer trying to launch a rap career in Hustle & Flow. We top it off with the story about a girl whose two worlds collide after her friend is shot dead by a cop in The Hate U Give. I'll be honest, all the movies are very emotional, and I was really hit by most of them, but as you'll find out after listening to the show, they are all worth tracking down.

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The Movies' Rating Out of Four Stars

Da 5 Bloods **** (CS) & ***½ (SM)
Fruitvale Station **** (CS & SM)
Dope **** (CS) & ***½ (SM)
Hustle & Flow ***½ (CS & SM)
The Hate U Give ***½ (CS) & *** (SM)