Till

Directed by Chinonye Chukwu

★★★★½

It seems that every year we receive more and more movies based on true stories. Every time a trend becomes prevalent, there are many who seek to jump on the bandwagon just for the cash grab. Due to the lack of passion behind the project, works like these don’t stay in our memory for long and ultimately have little impact on the audience. Till, thankfully, does not fall into this category.

Based on the events surrounding the lynching of Emmett Till in 1955, this is a movie that highlights just how powerful a mother’s love for her son can be. A standout moment in the film involves a one-take shot of Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) detailing how she identified the body of her son after it was delivered to Chicago. Danielle brings a lot of bold emotion to the role, and a form of ugly crying you have not seen before on the big screen.

Another aspect of the film that I appreciate is what gets left to the imagination and what is delivered to the audience. I won’t get into specifics here as I think this moment works better when you don’t know it is coming, but this tactic is akin to what makes all the best monster and horror movies. Leaving just enough to the imagination while still reminding the audience of just what exactly is behind the horror. And with something as atrocious lynching, this decision made by the filmmakers works very well.

Overall, you can tell that this is a movie that wasn’t made from a lack of inspiration, but with a message to deliver to the audience. The great care put into this film shows in every regard, and while it is a very heavy and somber movie I believe more movies should be touching upon the nastier parts of history like Till has done here.

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