Curation  /  Films  /  Fruitvale Station

Dir. Ryan Coogler

🌎 United States

🗓️ 2013

⌚️ 82 minutes

🔊 English

First Watched: Feb 14, 2018

A slice of life look at Oscar Grant on the events preceding getting shot and killed by a BART police officer on January 1, 2009, at Oakland's Fruitvale Station.

Review

This is the personal film I didn’t know I missed out on. Growing up in the Bay Area, being in Oakland at least once a week, the film’s locations speak to me on a parallel level.

From the beginning of the film with the sound of the BART train leaving the station to the location shots of Oakland and Hayward to Highland hospital. Beyond the locations is Michael B Jordan’s portrayal of someone from the East Bay. It’s not over the top, and it feels like he’s someone I grew up with from his clothing to his talk.

To be honest, I didn’t want to watch this. Because of the personal connection, because I was so close to the events that perspired, because it’s close to home. And because of this bias, I might be the wrong person to say this movie struck every chord in my body.

So thank you Ryan Coogler. You’ve made me feel the humanity in the parallel world. One in which my life did not intertwine with Oscar Grant’s. Although I know many like him, and it breaks my heart to know this happens in my home turf.

_{Film Still of Fruitvale Station, from The Weinstein Company}

Watch Now

Find it streaming through JustWatch.