1955, Chicago and fourteen year old Emmet Till (Jalyn Hall) is preparing to visit his cousins in Mississippi. His mother Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler) is nervous about the visit and warns him profusely about how different things  are in the south. Her worse fears come to pass and after Emmett is deemed to have been inappropriate with a store owner (Haley Bennett) he is lynched. 

This film tells the story of Mamie’s dedication to trying to get justice for her son and to the civil rights movement. It shows us the powerful and moving moments where she saw her son’s beaten body and the strength it took to stand up and speak at the trial. There is also quite a lengthy write up at the end of the film explaining her dedication and what has happened in the years between then and now. 

Overall I found Till to be the sort of serviceable and righteous biopic that has moments that provoke anger and sorrow in equal measure. It is also generally mundane despite its subject matter. I feel awful writing that, but even with its score that sweeps and soars and its powerful and moving acting I still felt like it was going through the motions. There is nothing truly new in the way it is presented and it never feels truly focused on Mamie’s transformation to activist. 

The best facet of the entire movie was the sense of period in costumes, sets and performances. Danielle Deadwyler’s performance was also really strong. One thing that did leave me cold though was Whoopi Goldberg’s appearance as Emmet’s grandmother. In a film about the civil rights movement and racism it saddens me that she has made recent comments about the holocaust that suggest she holds her own prejudice. Of course that should not diminish the story on screen at all. But when one is watching a film that is only sporadically gripping your mind can wander. 

My recommendation would be to read about the subject matter instead or just to watch this purely for its historical importance.