Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Polaris_DiB Hip-hop culture meets existentialist drama? Amazing! Oh, but it really is. I've never really liked rap or hip-hop or whichever subgenre you choose to label it, but eventually I was able to accept that there must be SOME good stuff out there... I just didn't feel like going to find it. What I probably needed earlier on was something like this movie.If you want to discuss hip-hop as art, this movie can cement the foundry. It's a split narrative about a boy who loses his brother because of two men robbing and stabbing him, and his dream to become a hip hop star and how he must overcome his grief to do it. Alternatively, he has nightmares about living the ultra conformist life of a cop, a la his father's vision, a joyless life of drink and slummy apartments and never getting along with his friends, his confidants, or his coworkers. The cop side-story is a little bit overblown, as is his father, but it's still an effort towards symbolism that's noteworthy.Now the most interesting thing about this movie is that it's actually a musical, that is to say, a movie where the character development is often represented through song and lyrics instead of dialog. One of the most amazing parts of this movie is the "Hip-Hop is Art" scene where Flip argues said point while the background features the rather abstract and distinctive movements of some breakdancers rolling to classical music. Movies or characters in movies arguing that hip-hop is art are a dime a dozen, but this one actually bothers to transcend said art to the filmed medium.But what makes it transcend even that level and actually prove its point majestically is its rather existential narrative structure that eventually pounds you with a twist at the end. Did I say the cop side-story was overblown? It makes sense in the weird circular construct of this movie's narration. Let's just say that the title, The Beat, can mean one of many things... The beat of music, the cop's beat, or a heartbeat. Who's heart beat is it from which the rest flow? --P

gkimball This movie is well worth watching. In fact, it is worth watching more than once. It is layered and thought provoking, on top of being downright entertaining. It makes you think about the choices you make in life.Even though I am not in any way a hip-hop fan, I found the music to be great! What a talent. I especially liked the dance sequence at the bus stop. The movie reminded me, in some ways, of Dancer in the Dark. The way that a musical is combined with a more serious theme and that it all works is amazing to me. I used to think of musicals as fluff like Mary Poppins or Cats, but no more.I will definitely watch this movie more than once. I would love to have the printed lyrics to the songs, but since I don't, I guess I will just watch and listen again and enjoy it every time!

jason-368 Rahman Jamaal, the lead in this film blows my mind! He spits raps from freestyles to classical music emanating from a bus stop and makes Mr. Marshall Mathers look like a school boy. This is 8-mile with an independent spirit and very entertaining.This is not your normal bottom barrel indie film - it has high production value and looks and sounds fantastic.I hope the Director Brandon Sonnier has something else in the works because he certainly has talent. From what I've read he was the youngest director at 19 to ever have a film in the Sundance Film Festival.Definitely rent or buy this film.

John Seal Whilst The Beat may be somewhat predictable in its tale of a bright youngster trying to make it as a rapper in South Central Los Angeles, it is an impressive first outing for writer-director Brandon Sonnier. The sharp and believable screenplay has a sting in its tail, too, and the ending surprised me--not an easy accomplishment! Rahmaan Jamaal stars as Flip, a child of a racially mixed marriage who is trying to 'keep it real' by giving up a comfortable middle-class life for the street, where his muse can soak up enough ambiance to give his rapping an extra edge. Jamaal is a likable if limited actor, and the balance of the cast also does well, especially Michael Colyar as a scuffling talent agent who has precisely one business card and markets himself as 'Barnes and Knoble' ("the 'k' is silent!"). A very promising debut that also features some truly impressive freestyle rap. Highly recommended.