“Straight Outta Compton” is the perfect movie to watch if you want to end your summer with a bang. Its music and its LA vibe will have you wishing you were one among the crowd at every one of N.W.A’s impressively hardcore performances. If you haven’t watched it on the big screen yet, don’t miss your chance.

I walked into this movie a fan of hip hop with an immense appreciation for the art. I watched this movie twice (two weeks apart), and the second time was just as riveting as the last. Both times, the theater was packed with an equally diverse group of people. Whether you go alone or with a group of friends won’t matter. Whether you are a fan of hip-hop or not won’t matter; everything about this biopic will have you completely submerged.

Before I explain what gives this movie the hype it deserves, let me break it down for you. “Straight Outta Compton” tells its audience about the rise and fall of arguably the most influential gangsta-rap group, N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes).

N.W.A members Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson, Antoine “DJ Yella” Carraby, and Lorenzo “MC Ren” Patterson live in what was considered in the 1980s and 1990s to be the most dangerous city in the nation: Compton. Dealing with crime and police brutality was the norm, and it served as the motivation for this group of talented young men to break out and make a name for themselves. That name being N.W.A.

Their success is unfathomable, with the music, the parties, and the groupies. However, the film does not hesitate to reveal the realities of the music business: corruption and greed, ultimately leading to the group’s demise.

That’s one of the things to love about this movie: it is brutally honest. Yes, viewers who know a bit more about N.W.A. know that some details were omitted (such as Dr. Dre’s history of violence against women). That doesn’t necessarily stop this movie from being raw. Details about how the group acquired the money to initiate Ruthless Records, as well as the ambiguity of the business side as every member who wasn’t Eazy-E witnessed it, were openly and graphically expressed. The intense violence on the streets of Compton as well as the way these young artists were brutally mistreated by the LAPD (even the FBI) leaves viewers watching in horrified awe.

It’s details such as these that make it irrelevant whether or not people know about N.W.A or hip-hop in general when watching this biopic. This film is extremely informative, and it touches on issues that are unfortunately very relevant today.

Along with the raw factor of the film, “Straight Outta Compton” does an excellent job at acknowledging the fact that this gangsta-rap group gave the people a voice.

As a press conference scene in the movie suggests, N.W.A’s music was a reflection of their reality, and their music was their means of expression. The group makes it loud and clear during the dynamically directed Detroit concert scene, in which they perform “Fuck tha Police,” that they would not be silenced despite threats from the federal government.

It’s inspirational. This biopic was selfless enough to not only focus on the history of N.W.A specifically, but also on events that were occurring at the exact same time. It demonstrates how people come together in times of need in order to fight for a greater cause. Despite a great amount of violence being portrayed through scenes that focus on the LA riots of 1992, the film subtly captures a sense of unity and brotherhood through a knot that tied two bandanas together.

As far as the more concrete aspects of this biopic, the acting in this film is phenomenal. The chemistry among the actors was evident and made the portrayal of each individual group member and their relationships with each all the more real. You feel a sense of loss when Dr. Dre discovers tragic news, you feel screwed over like Ice Cube, yet angry with him for going solo, and you feel skeptical about trusting Jerry Heller (N.W.A manager). You feel for every member individually and as a group. There is a sense of brotherhood that grows stronger as the story develops as well as a poignancy of that bond being torn apart later in the film.

The direction of this film is done masterfully by F. Gary Gray. There is an LA and early 1990s hip-hop vibe that’s hard to shake off. Performance scenes are crisp, beautiful, and dynamic, and it captures how real and entertaining the shows really were.

“Straight Outta Compton” is entertaining from start to finish. Despite claims that it slows down toward the end, we need to understand that it is a reflection of N.W.A’s career. The group didn’t last forever. I urge you to watch this on the big screen if there’s still time. If not, watch it anyway. If there is one thing “Straight Outta Compton” won’t do, it’s disappoint.