Produced by surviving members Dr. Dre (played by Corey Hawkins) and Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr., playing his father), and dedicated in memory of Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), Compton's at its finest in its first half, as the story of friends who used music to show the world what was happening in their community, with police bureaus across the nation nipping futilely at their heels.

When things evolve and the focus shifts to the—still undeniably entertaining—feuds among the original members, some of that power is lost in favor of familiar Behind the Music motions. Controversy becomes less social criticism and more personal finance, with former manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) portrayed with more nuance than he might have been. Meanwhile, Suge Knight (R. Marcus Taylor) is, as you probably know, currently facing murder charges after angrily leaving the Compton film set in January. by Marjorie Skinner