Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Boyz n the Hood’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When it comes to cinema in general, it is safe to say that America has a love affair with the coming of age story. Because these particular tales are quite unique in their own right, since they do tend to focus on how wondrous moments can also provide us with sobering realizations. For while the teens in these movies come to realize the wonder of the world and that perhaps they can change it with effort, they often arrive at that epiphany or are driven to do so, after seeing an injustice in the world that awakens their soul to the fact that modern society isn’t quite what they expect it to be. A powerful lesson that each of us learn at some point in our youth, which also makes these movies quite relatable for certain. But while these movies have merit and can be quite thought-provoking in their own right, they are not without their respective flaws.
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Such as the fact that they are often set in the past, where a sense of Americana hangs over everything and the story tends to present the nuances of the world in simplistic or black and white fashion. Plus, often times these movies are set in suburbia, where life really isn’t all that difficult, and the tough moments the characters encounter in between white picket fences, are sometimes quite unrealistic. Which makes them movies through and through, since they’re filled to the brim with fantastic moments that rarely reflect the mundane nature of suburbia. But thankfully, there are coming of age films out there that don’t shy away from the harsh realities of the world and in 1991, writer/director John Singleton released a powerful film that gave audiences everywhere a shocking look at what coming of age looks like in a major metropolitan area in Boyz n the Hood.

Now in this particular motion picture we are introduced to a young boy named Tre Styles who unfortunately comes from a broken home. For his mother and father are separated and the anger that surges through Tre, from his unique circumstances and unresolved feelings, sees him get in trouble at school often. Something that motivates his mother to move Tre from her home in Inglewood, California to his father’s in Crenshaw, a suburb of South-Central Los Angeles, so that dad can guide Tre in ways that she cannot. And once Ricky arrives to live with his father, we are privy to a powerful journey, one that sees Ricky try hard to follow his father’s teachings so that he can rise above the tough streets that surround him and avoid becoming a statistic in a neighborhood that takes, more often than it gives.

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So, make no mistake about it, this is a visceral motion picture. One that genuinely takes the time to tackle important topics about Black communities that quite frankly, no movie or show or story in general was willing to look at, during this particular period of time. Which makes this movie poignant and relevant after all these years because a lot of what it has to say, still resonates in 2020. Such as the fact that systemic racism as a whole, has more or less prompted the nation to ignore what goes on in black communities. To the point where the plight of these communities only appears on the news if violence is running rampant through those neighborhoods and for proof, look no further than the fact that this movie came out in 1991 and South-Central and the issues happening there weren’t paid any serious mind until the Los Angeles Riots happened in that area, a year later. 

But while that segment of the story is quite powerful in its own right, we would be remiss to not discuss the other important topic that this motion picture tackles, specifically how the police tend to treat black people on a consistent basis. Which is of course, poorly in this story, since we see policy brutality on full display here in terrifying fashion and we also see the LAPD treat the community in an aloof manner. As though the calls here are quite the inconvenience and annoyance and while this is something, we are talking about on a consistent basis now, what makes this part of the story so poignant and powerful is the sheer fact that this is a film that was made nearly thirty years ago. Which means this was happening back then, and it took a supremely long time to bring it to the public’s attention and enact some measure of change.

If anything, all of these elements make this quite the brilliant motion picture. Because the raw nature of this film and the small nuances that it presents us with, move you and unsettle you every single step of the way as you hope for the best when it comes to characters that are besieged by violence at every turn. And it is also one that helps you to understand that some children and teenagers are forced to grow up fast in our country when survival is part of their everyday routine and that is a sobering lesson for the audience to learn. In the end, this is simply an important film, one that you need to seek out and see as soon as possible if you haven’t seen it before. In part because it does feature a powerful story that will leave you stunned and silent when the end credits roll. But also, because it reminds us that we still have to be better, when it comes to listening and learning about the world that surrounds us.

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