One looking for a movie to put pep in his or her step should look no further than Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton. This film reflects on the hip hop groups attempt to bridge the gap between music and what was going on in the streets, as well as how they rose the ranks and became N.W.A.

In the mid 1980s, the streets of Compton, California were some of the most dangerous in the country. When five young men translated their horrible experiences into music they gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. Straight Outta Compton tells the astonishing story of how these youngsters revolutionized music and pop culture forever as soon as they told the world the truth about life in the streets.

As one who had heard about N.W.A. but did not have an extensive knowledge of each of the member’s upbringing, this film does an extraordinary job at giving one the background knowledge required to understand.

The atmosphere is charged as cinematographer Matthew Libatique creates striking visuals that pull us into the fray. Cube’s look-alike son, O’Shea Jackson Jr., does a smashing job playing his dad, blending sensitivity with seething intensity. It’s Cube and his buddy DJ Andre “Dr. Dre” Young (a charmingly sly Corey Hawkins) who persuade drug dealer Eric “Eazy-E” Wright (Jason Mitchell) to finance a label, Ruthless Records. Mitchell’s fierce portrayal of the mercurial Eazy is award-caliber, especially when he haltingly, then thrillingly, lays down vocals on “Boyz-n-the-Hood.”

Straight Outta Compton takes you through each of N.W.A’s albums and provides a look into how the dynamic of the group changed throughout their rise to stardom. Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti), does an exquisite job playing the sneaky group manager who takes advantage of young, inexperienced and now wealthy children.

Straight Outta Compton mixes the dark reality of the streets and gangster rap with the essence of life’s troubles as only a movie as this could. For all the peak moments that this group experiences, the film does not forget the dark times and where each member came from as well as their difference in personalities.

For anyone who grew up during the period of N.W.A. to somebody who is just looking for a movie to view casually (anybody 15+) this film would satisfy your needs.

Although Straight Outta Compton would have been more glamorous if it did not sidestep the band’s misogyny, gay-bashing and malicious infighting, the fact that none of these characteristics were forgone is what makes it so sincere.