We are almost at the end of our Seven Deadly Sins edition and it’s time for wrath! I thought long and hard what to include and then I saw this: in its purest form, wrath presents with injury, violence, and hate that may provoke feuds that can go on for centuries. So I’m recommending three movies that revolve around racism. A form of unwarranted wrath embedded so deep into society that people are filled with hate for no reason. All three of my recommendations also serve as educational and are based on true events.

3. 13TH (2016)

This documentary is a must to those who want to understand why and how racism was invented in America. It’s not a thing that comes or develops naturally, it is taught and it is created. There is a multi-billion industry built on top of racism and 13th by Ava DuVernay tells the story of that fucked up system. 13th is eyeopening and if you come away from it by not learning anything, then you weren’t paying attention.

2. JUST MERCY (2019)

A great follow up to 13th is Just Mercy, a movie inspired by true events and based on a specific case in Bryan Stevenson’s life. Basically Stevenson goes to defend a wrongly convicted Black man and it takes him a very long time to prove his innocence. Because, as 13th will show you, the system is built to keep prisoners in prison, even if they are innocent. Stevenson is still alive, working tirelessly for bringing justice to those who have been wrongly convicted. Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson well and Jamie Foxx is also good. But there’s a scene that made me cry very much and that was because of Rob Morgan.

1. WHEN THEY SEE US (2019)

Alright, I might be cheating a bit because this is a mini-series but if I can add it on Letterboxd, it is a movie for me. Besides, nothing makes this list more about wrath that When They See Us. My god, this story will rip your heart out because of the level of injustice done to these boys. Five teens from Harlem get falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park in 1989. The world knows them as the Central Park Five. Even though they weren’t all angels, they did not commit the crime they were accused of. They were literally framed. Worst of all was the wrath of the people, the public, following the case with the media that of course was bending the truth itself. Trump even bought adds to bring back the death penalty for the boys.. who were all 16 or younger.

Jharrel Jerome plays Korey Wise throughout all four episodes (other boys get recast with adults) and is brilliant! He carries the final episode all by himself and he carries it with such honor, respect and commitment, that you believe every second of every frame. When They See Us showcases how racism is filled with so much wrath that it blinds people from seeing the truth.

THIS AMAZING SERIES IS CREATED BY WANDERING THROUGH THE SHELVES

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4 Comments

  • 13th is the only I’ve seen and I remember it being very well done. Hopefully I’ll watch the other two soon as I’ve been meaning to for a while now.

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  • I haven’t seen any of these but they all sound brilliant and sad. The unfortunate truth is wrath created by prejudice is so pervasive like cockroaches hidden away but scurry everywhere and so hard to kill. I think of the Jewish people, the native Americans, the Japanese during WW2 with the internment camps and yes, even Others like my mom, A German who, when she came to Canada, was told she was nothing but a white N. she came over in 1956 and her first job was in dry cleaning run by a Jewish man. Prejudice. Is fueled by hatred, ignorance, judgement and fear and is so hard to quell. Regardless, we must always fight injustice but through peaceful ways that show no fear, no wrath, no hatred but strength in the knowledge that Martin Luther King Jnr was right and so was Hans Litten

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