What musicians would America have oppressed if Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella listened to the naysayers and followed those who said rap music, sampling, reality rap, all of it, was a waste of time and definitely illegal?

| Sep 1, 2023

It would be nicer to savor a smaller portion of chocolate ice cream and take your time appreciating the scent of the fudge swirls or the texture of the melted ice cream. That was a long, drawn-out metaphor for what this film could have been.

| Original Score: D | Feb 7, 2023

The story is epic enough that audiences will experience the significant musical and social influence N.W.A. had on the larger community of hip-hop, and how that influence continues to shape contemporary artists.

| Original Score: 3/4 | May 29, 2022

Take Straight Outta Compton for what it is - a sanitised and over-dramatised take on one of hip-hop's most significant groups...for the two and a half hours it rolls, however, Hollywood and Compton are just different names for exactly the same place.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 23, 2021

Through the evocative lens of cinematographer Matthew Libatique, Gray illustrates the vibrancy and pain of this moment and, for the most part, does not leave out the contradictions.

| Feb 3, 2021

Straight Outta Compton is an eminently watchable movie with a point of view. Or, one could say, with an attitude.

| Jan 14, 2021

One of 2015's best adult-oriented dramas and one of the best musical biopics of recent years.

| Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 24, 2020

If the film's aim was to show us how much of N.W.A's core essence still remain in the music industry and society today, then it achieves that.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 17, 2020

There's enough here to satisfy the biggest fans and stir the interest of newcomers alike.

| Original Score: B | Jul 15, 2020

It does justice to N.W.A's biography in a very entertaining way. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 26, 2020

Straight Outta Compton serves its subject well, and couldn't have come at a more relevant time.

| Apr 8, 2020

Even if you're not a fan of the N.W.A, you should be able to enjoy "Straight Outta Compton"; what's more, the film may actually turn you into one. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Mar 20, 2020

If you're a fan of rap and hip hop, odds are you'll love Straight Outta Compton. If not, you'll still enjoy it with the great performances and excellent filmmaking on display.

| Feb 13, 2020

Straight Outta Compton is disciplined, professional filmmaking where the director has enough sense to know his subject matter is so epic that telling the story straight is enough to make it work.

| Jan 10, 2020

The powerful and record-breaking film was written by Andrea Berloff and Jonathan Herman, and is an absolute must-see!

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 14, 2019

What we get is a visually thrilling, musically electric rise of an important band, followed by a pillow-soft landing into trite cliché.

| Original Score: C+ | Jul 30, 2019

There is so much going on in the lyrical wordplay of the music, much deeper than the critics who tend to focus on its violent imagery suggests.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 5, 2019

A hugely impressive cast, supplemented by an engrossing depiction of California, give perfectly-nuanced performances to a story that feels as important now as ever.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 4, 2019

Straight Outta Compton proves as infectiously entertaining as it is educational thanks to F. Gary Gray's richly textured direction and a thumping soundtrack that confirms rap as the protest music of its time.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 6, 2019

Gray and screenwriters Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff at times feel too handcuffed to the group's well-documented history, breaking up the rhythm of the story to check off a minor, well-documented detail of the journey.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Mar 7, 2019