Last week, Cleveland, Ohio was the stage for the Republican National Convention. As many perceive, it was a gathering of mostly wealthy white men spewing forth ideas about how to make this country “great again.” This image of Cleveland is a juxtaposition to the hard knock life that the city represents in “The Land,” a film that tackles the brutality of growing up in the lower class and the struggle to make it out in pursuit of one’s dream.

In “The Land,” four inner-city teenage boys all have their hopes pinned on the same dream, which is clearly not being realized at the auto mechanic trade school they attend. Inspiration for the future is the furthest thing from their minds while at school, but as soon as the bell rings, Cisco (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), Junior (Moises Arias), Boobie (Ezri Walker), and Patty Cake (Rafi Gavron) find their passion in skateboarding. They are known in Cleveland’s hip-hop underground as the rag-tag skater posse, and they all truly believe that skateboarding will lead the way to a better life.

They make their living, providing for their broken families and baby mamas, by tactfully stealing cars and selling them off for a few bucks. Everything changes one night after they discover something valuable in the trunk of one of their stolen cars– a large bag of MDMA pills. Cisco, the ringleader of the group, persuades his hesitant friends to take and sell the pills, excitedly promising that the money earned will go towards entrance fees for skate competitions, new gear, etc. However, the boys’ newfound luck soon runs out when the drug kingpin, or should I say queenpin, known as Momma (Linda Emond) comes looking for her loot and it quickly becomes apparent that she is deathly serious about reclaiming what’s hers.

Right off the bat, “The Land” hits a few marks on the “Been there, Seen that” scoreboard. Skateboarding teens end up with a ton of drugs? See: “Dope.” Coming of age story about kids treading through a rough home life amidst gang violence and drug wars? See: “The Wire.” However, writer/director Steven Caple Jr. takes what should be unoriginal storylines and creates magical moments that are crucial to the film’s ultimate artistic sensibilities. The long, sweeping cinematic shots of boarded up buildings where the kids skate reflect both style and substance. One moment in the film shows the kids doing kickflips with colored powder in such a way that it plays as more of a love scene between a man and his passion, rather than a basic skateboarding sequence.

While the performances are top-notch and emotionally charged (including appearances from Michael Kenneth Williams of “The Wire” and rapper Machine Gun Kelly), what really drives the cohesive vibe home is the soundtrack. Contributing to this musical masterpiece are heavyweight hitters Nas (who also executive-produced the film) and Erykah Badu (who also co-stars as a local prostitute Turquoise). The atmospheric and almost trance-like score breathes unexpected life into every scene, making it almost a character in and of itself.

Aside from being just a term of endearment, the phrase “The Land” also evokes images of a jungle, in a sort of dog-eat-dog world. The observation of inner city living, especially the street/skater subculture is complete with 12 o’clock boys, familial strife, and brotherly love. What could have been just another one of those typical, coming of age dramas can now be considered one of the summer’s most influential films from one talented up and coming director, Steven Caple Jr.

‘The Land’ is not rated. 104 minutes. Opens this Friday, July 29, in theaters and VOD.