The true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi.
- Released:
- Runtime: 120 minutes
- Genre: Drama
- Stars: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Whoopi Goldberg, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Kevin Carroll, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Douglas Thompson, Roger Guenveur Smith, Princess Elmore, Josh Ventura, Ed Amatrudo, Gail Everett-Smith, Brendan Patrick Connor, Tim Ware, Keisha Tillis, Kevin Brown, Bradley King, J.P. Edwards, Jackson Beals, Summer Rain Menkee, Reid Jameson Smith, Mike Dolphy, Ralph Hughes, Ed Sturdivant, Rakeem Massingill, Al Mitchell, Lee Spencer, Njema Williams, Sean Michael Weber, Alyssa Talbot, Euseph Messiah, James Sanders III, Thea Clark, Jamie Renell, Friedman Twinkies, Jonathan D. Williams, Jaylin Webb, Eric Whitten, Diallo Thompson, Cora Maple Lindell, David Caprita, Elizabeth Youman, Charles T. Massey, Angela Yale, Phil Biedron, Carol J. Mckenith, Torey Adkins, Maurice Johnson, Noel Sampson, Brandon P. Bell, Oz Keenum, Destin Freeman, Bree Fyffe, Josh Mendez Sr., Marcus Atkins, Darian Rolle, Brennan Schram, Melina Datta, Blaine Huslig, Ryan Austin Bryant, Richard Nash
- Director: Chinonye Chukwu
Comments
- barcamanal - 3 November 2023
Good but could be better
The movie's commitment to capturing the essence of a true story is truly admirable. The characters felt real, and their struggles and triumphs were depicted with great authenticity. It's a testament to the filmmakers' dedication to honoring the source material.
Nevertheless, the slow pacing was a significant hurdle for me. There were moments where I found my attention wandering, and I had to remind myself of the compelling true events that inspired the film to stay invested. A more dynamic storytelling approach could have maintained a higher level of engagement and excitement.
In the end, while the film's leisurely pace tested my patience at times, the strength of the true story and the outstanding performances made it a movie I'm glad I watched, even if it required a bit more patience than I initially expected. - raydavis-96452 - 5 August 2023
Great movie
This was a very amazing movie, although we know the outcome of their entire movie it still was quite powerful to see it on the big screen. Watching this movie, I must be honest, had me quite emotional to a lot of the parts, I found myself thinking, what if Emmett was one of my kids? To sit here and watch this mother having to endure the things that she endure, and also being at a point where your child is the victim and they portray him as he was the aggressor throughout the entire thing it is quite frustrating. The crazy thing about this movie is that knowing that this woman, Carolyn Bryant wait until she got on her death bed to admit that she lied, it is more hurtful to endure that someone or a group of people can be that evil, and allow someone to go through the things that this family endure, and also be the reason that this child lost his life. - marymcfarland-01866 - 14 May 2023
Just...WOW. Naysayers need not reply
This was absolutely incredible. I rarely go to the theater anymore....too expensive.
I watched this yesterday on streaming...and I am still feeling it. The actress who played Mamie Till was totally robbed. She was absolutely incredible.
Yes...the movie is LONG, and very heavy on drama and diaglogue. Which is good, but also, it was just so emotional I had to pause and rewind several times due to weeping.
I appreciated that they didn't go full on and show the horrific torture and murder of this poor child. It was quite effective to have that crime happen in sound only, leaving the details to the imagination of the viewer (even though many Americans already know the gross details). I also appreciated that for the most part, it was accurate based on accounts from those who lived it. Very little creative license was taken.
This film and all of the performances are top notch. This is a MUST WATCH for everyone....especially mothers of children who are targets whilst we sit here still worried in 2023, that we might get the call Mamie received. Highly recommend. - Entertainmentsparadise - 12 December 2022
Till displays a true story that focuses on the story rather than glorifying racism.
I find it challenging to watch racist movies, I battle my inner consciousness for weeks, debating if I should go to the theater to watch Till or not, but I am glad I finally did. Although Till is triggering with the display of racism and injustice, the film focuses more on Emmett Bo Till's mother, Mamie.
The film starts by showing the glistening smile of a young man who seems so infatuated with living and loving life that he comes off oblivious to racism in and in his surrounding environment.
The first scene caused an emotional tug-war. One scene displaying Emmett's kidnapping made me sick to my stomach. As Emmett was taken off in the night, I was anticipating a gruesome display of dismantlement and horror of this young man. Instead of explicitly showing us that, the film focuses on audio, hearing some torture versus a visual scene. I find this an important aspect to note, as many movies that focus on racist displays against Black folk often glamorize the humiliation and violence. Till serves as the outlier.
As I mentioned earlier, this film is triggering with very emotional scenes focusing on the reaction of Emmett's mother (Mamie).
One quote I found very impactful was, "He came home reeking of" racism.
One of the most impactful aspects of the film is emphasized in the court scenes. Which highlighted the segregation and discriminatory practices of the United States back in the 1950s. It is wild to think 70 years ago, it was so racist, and many of these racist acts and killings have transformed until today. From the unjust jury to the interactions with Mamie, including the side eyes, laughs in the background, and blatant disrespect of the White folk in court is very disturbing. This picture effectively displayed the fear and humiliation in each Black witness's eyes, including Mamie.
The camera focuses on Mamie, blurring out the environment and other folks in the court when she is selected as a witness to speak on the stand giving her testimony. This is meaningful and powerful; she was important, her feelings mattered, and what she said meant something even if the case was already decided. Even when other characters had speaking parts during her take of the stands, the camera stayed on Mamie during the cross-examination. That showed all of her emotions and facial expressions.
Just viewing that as a mother having to go on stands and hold her composure in front of a courtroom filled with White folk.
After leaving the stand, Mamie whispered, "they killed my son again." Mamie spoke what was needed and showed the world the beauty of who her son was. Although she faced racism and prejudice, she didn't stop pushing for what was necessary while holding her composure. Overall, Till displays a true story that focuses on the story rather than glorifying racism. Is it triggering, yes? But it is not set up like your typical civil rights movie. RIP Emmett Till. - snaphoney - 27 November 2022
Brilliant film respects honor of Emmitt Till, Deadwyler shines
I was skeptical of how this film would turn out as far as depicting the harrowing moment of Tills death but the film manages to tackle the moment with respect and delicacy. It's also a beautifully shot film with his bright colors and nuances. As far as the performances Danielle Deadwyler who plays the role of Tills mother is the standout. You can feel every pathos in each scene that she is in (especially the court scene). She gives an Oscar worthy performance and has a chance to actually win Lead Actress. Whoopi Goldberg who co produced this film was also good in a small role as grandmother. A+ - steiner-sam - 18 November 2022
Underscores the existence of systemic racism in the United States
It's a drama of deep grief and a search for justice in 1955 Chicago and north-central Mississippi. It's based on Emmett Till's lynching, his mother's grief, and Mamie's efforts to seek justice for his murder.
Mamie Bryant (Danielle Deadwyler) is the mother of her 14-year-old extroverted son, Emmett (Jalyn Hall). She has a checkered relationship history--Emmett's father died in the military service in 1945, her second marriage has ended, and she's currently in a relationship with Gene Mobley (Sean Patrick Thomas). Mamie's parents, Alma Carthan (Whoopi Goldberg) and John (Frankie Faison), divorced when Mamie was relatively young. Mamie has a good job with the Air Force in Chicago and has little interest in her Mississippi roots.
The film follows Emmett's summertime visit to Mississippi to visit cousins who live with his great-uncle Moses "Preacher" Wright (John Douglas Thompson). One day while visiting a small shop in Money, Mississippi, he speaks too familiarly with the white female shopkeeper, Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett). Some say he whistled at her. Several nights later, two white men take Emmett away. He's not seen again until his body is recovered in the Tallahatchie River.
The movie moves from Mamie's great grief to her decision to have an open-casket funeral so the world can see what happened to Emmett. She later decides to participate in the trial of the two men accused of Emmett's lynching. The defense has questioned if the recovered body is Emmett's, and Mamie wants to confirm that it is.
The first part of "Till" is very emotional, as the viewer waits for the tragedy we all know will happen and then sees it unfold. The viewer does not see the violence, but we do see a somewhat restrained view of Emmett's body in the Chicago mortuary. The film skillfully portrays Mamie's transition from helpless grief to her determination to display the truth and seek justice. This is Deadwyler's movie, but the supporting cast is generally excellent.
The film distorts some facts. The U. S. military executed Emmett's father in 1945 for a rape in Italy; the film implies he died in combat. The portrayal of events in the small shop is impossible to verify as accounts of the few witnesses varied widely over the years. Mamie's relationship with future civil rights martyr Medgar Evers (Tosin Cole) and Myrlie Evers (Jayme Lawson) seems exaggerated.
Nonetheless, this is a powerful movie that underscores the existence of systemic racism in the United States.
