made with earnestness, care, and complex characters, this film nicely combines familiar themes of coming of age and redemption with a dynamic urban setting to deliver a satisfying story; Anthony Anderson and Uzo Aduba, both of them are terrific
Chris Robinson has an eye for smeary, hazy afternoon sunlight that gives "Beats" a memorable visual signature. But his attempts to represent August's (Khalil Everage) condition with camera trickery fall flat
between its discussion of gun violence and making it in music, Beats is an entertaining watch that is most effective in sharing its message about how poisonous fear can be - but it's also scattered in the execution of its vision
"Beats" is a classic case of extraordinary acting saving a movie from its script issues and boilerplate story beats; Stream it! The movie's good intentions outweigh its flaws. It works diligently to keep hope alive on Chicago's South Side
