This Is the Life

In 1989, a collective of young hip hop artists gathered at a health food café in South Central Los Angeles. Their mandate? To reject gang culture and expand the musical boundaries of hip hop. DuVernay's documentary chronicles the historic legacy of the Good Life Cafe — the open mic nights that became an L.A. institution, the eclectic array of talented young MCs that emerged there, the alternative hip hop movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the artform.

Director: Ava DuVernay

Cast: Abstract Rude, Big Al, Busdriver, Chali 2na, Cut Chemist, Ellay Khule, Fat Jack, NgaFsh

Audience-only score — full critic data not yet in the ReelXO vault.