Blindspotting is one of my personal favorite movies. Whether that is due to the amazing acting or the message, I’m not sure.

It’s a 2018 film directed by Carlos López Estrada with screenplay by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs. Diggs and Casal also star in the movie. 

The film is the story of Collin, who was charged with a felony and is on his last three days of probation. One night he’s driving to the half-way house where he lives, when he witnesses a white police officer shoot an unarmed black man. 

The story also covers the gentrification of the East Bay area. Collin’s best friend Miles, played by Casal, struggles with feeling out of place in the city where he grew up because he’s white. The majority of the white people in this area are hipster types who are almost colonizing this poor/ethnic area. I personally relate to Miles quite a bit, because he feels a need to behave a certain way to fit in with the people he grew up around and not be mistaken for a hipster. 

Diggs and Casal use freestyle rap as a way for Collin to express what he’s feeling throughout the film. In the beginning, it’s just some lighthearted rhyming that progresses until the end where he confronts the cop that shot the unarmed man. He raps at him, which is admittedly comedic sounding, but made for a very emotional scene.

The term “blindspotting” is used by characters to refer to the idea that when you look at a person, you subconsciously judge them based on their physical appearance. Even though you have this initial perception of them, you can learn to view them differently. 

I absolutely love everything about this movie. 

From the cast to the use of light and color to the messages that the film conveys, Blindspotting is an incredibly well-made movie. There’s humor sprinkled throughout the film, but it feels natural. There’s a good balance of humor and serious, thought-provoking plot.

This movie is rated R for language throughout, some brutal violence, sexual references and drug use. The running time is about 95 minutes.