Till

Chukwu’s empathetic and insightful character study of Mamie Till is a howl of pain and a towering, emotive viewing experience even after all of these years.

The screenplay, by the director in collaboration with Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp, is filled with rich detail, such as the different ways in which attendees at the trial are treated according to their colour.

Till distinguishes itself with the intimacy of its approach. As well as possessing a luminous beauty made for close-ups, Deadwyler, displays a deep understanding of Mamie’s grief and her urge to make her son’s memory stand for something.

A sensational acting showcase for Deadwyler, as Mamie shifts from devastated mother to reluctant activist.

Chukwu prefers humans to saints and fluid film-making is her thing.

Chinonye Chukwu, working with a talented and mostly flawless cast, has established the film’s venomously racist Jim Crow-era milieu so profoundly that the exchange bristles with shock and sickening dread.

Chinonye Chukwu’s third feature, Till, is an angry and inspirational story surrounding racism in America, a film as much about the 1950s as it is the present day.

Why should anyone watch “Till” other than it is good for you? Deadwyler’s performance, the lived-in feel of the period piece to make it feel immersive and contemporary, not ancient and removed, and the music as a horror element.

There’s no other reason needed to watch Till than for Deadwyler’s impeccable performance.

Deadwyler gives an astounding performance as Mamie in Chinonye Chukwu’s powerful and harrowing film.