Till (2022)

TILL (2022) is a moving drama based on the true story of Mamie Till Mobley, who unflinchingly pursued justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till. In 1955, Emmett was lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman while visiting his relatives in the Mississippi Delta. Mamie’s search for answers took her from Chicago to Mississippi, where she fought relentlessly to uncover the truth. Forging an alliance between black and white advocates, including the NAACP and Eisenhower’s Justice Department, Mamie’s quest eventually helped revolutionise the civil rights movement. But, as the postscript to the film reminds us, that was a long time in coming.

TILL stars Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Mobley. Deadwyler gives an outstanding performance that captures her character’s strength and vulnerability. She conveys a deep sense of loss for Emmett (Jalyn Hall) but also shows us how determined she was to seek justice for her son’s death. An excellent cast of actors ably supports her. The film is beautifully shot, giving a vivid sense of the rural south in 1955. The cinematography captures both the beauty and brutality of Mamie’s journey.

One of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the movie for me was when we witness Mamie’s pain as she first views Till’s brutally beaten body in the morgue for the first time. I felt her rage when she discovers the two men accused of his murder will never face justice. And I shared in her joy when, after years of struggle, Emmett’s killers are finally brought to trial.

The film’s pacing is slow, making it feel a little long in parts. This is compounded by the fact that a substantial proportion of the movie looks and feels like other movies dealing with the same theme. The music is also distracting at times and sometimes feels manipulative. Nonetheless, TILL has several moments in its story which are emotionally powerful and make it worth seeing. In a time when racial injustice still exists, Mamie Till Mobley’s story inspires us to continue the fight for true equality for all.

(In cinemas in Australia – check your local movie guide for show times.)