Cert 15
85 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, violence, injury detail
Here's a quandary. I reckon most people in America will read the words Fruitvale Station and immediately know the context of Ryan Coogler's film.
However, I did not and, therefore, its shock value was considerably increased.
This movie focuses on Oscar Grant, a young man struggling to get his life together in Oakland, California.
It opens with a scene of what appears to be police heavy-handedness towards a group of men in their custody.
The film then spins back, gently peeling back the layers of Grant (Michael B. Jordan).
It shows his good side as an adoring father and son but does not hold back on the fact that he has a short temper, had been lured into the world of drugs and his personal indiscipline had cost him his job.
Indeed, for much of the movie I wondered why it was concentrating so heavily on someone who was so ordinary.
But that is Coogler's point. Grant was just an average 22-year-old but his name has gone down in infamy because of what happened at Fruitvale Station on New Year's Day, 2009.
This is a powerful and important movie which, unlike many films based on 'true stories', sticks to the facts and keeps commentary to a minimum.
It boasts strong performances from Jordan, Melonie Diaz as his girlfriend and Octavia Spencer as his mum.
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 7/10