Arguably, the film of the moment is F. Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton. Propelled by an excellent marketing campaign (because, y’know, Dr. Dre was involved) and reverence for the film’s subject, the film has stood out in the August box office doldrums. There’s always a lot said about American audiences being stupid, but if a 2.5-hour music drama can be the biggest hit of late summer, then we’re probably doing just fine. Especially when it’s one as fiery, comprehensive, and entertaining as this one, millions of fans aren’t wrong.

The film spans about a decade of time, from the latter days of the Reagan era right into the median of Clinton’s, and chronicles the origins of hip hop group N.W.A. as well as the rise to stardom that follows. One appeal of the film is how it manages to convey the story from the perspectives of the collective’s members. The ones most prevalently featured are Eric Wright, O’Shea Jackson, and Andre Young (a.k.a. Easy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre, respectively). The narrative admirably keeps up with the individuals as it moves along, which gives the film an intimate quality to it.

The film feels incredibly detailed and honest; it offers insight rather than hagiography

It’s also inevitably self-referential for not only its producers (Ice Cube, Dre, and Easy-E’s widow Tomica Woods-Wright) but also for F. Gary Gray, since the production of Friday is included here – he directed that too.  This is probably why the film feels incredibly detailed and honest; it offers insight rather than hagiography. There’s a real love for hip hop demonstrated, and Gray especially highlights the creativity and energy of the medium in the recording sequences. Equally impressive are the N.W.A. concert scenes in the first half, which recapture a couple of the group’s performances – including an infamous Detroit show that provoked a riot.

Straight Outta Compton is strongly acted across the board. Jason Mitchell and Corey Hawkins shine as E and Dre, as does O’Shea Jackson Jr. in portraying the ferocious talent of his father Ice Cube. Also excellent is the always-reliable Paul Giamatti as N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller (playing the snooty musician’s manager for the second time this summer). And for the aforementioned run time, it zips along surprisingly well. It’s absolutely one film that deserves the hype.

Straight Outta Compton is now playing.