| Director | George Tillman Jr. |
|---|---|
| Genre | crime film, drama film, film based on a novel |
| Runtime | 133 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $23 million |
| Box office | $34.9 million |
Starr Carter is a 16-year-old African-American girl who lives in the predominantly black neighborhood of Garden Heights and attends a predominantly white private school called Williamson Prep.
After a firearm is discharged at a party Starr is attending, she is driven home by her best friend, Khalil. They are stopped by a police officer for failing to signal at a lane change. The officer in question, Brian MacIntosh Jr., barks orders at Khalil. Khalil disagrees with MacIntosh, who instructs him to exit the car.
While outside the car, MacIntosh retrieves Khalil's driver's license and instructs him to keep his hands on the roof. Instead, Khalil reaches through the driver side window and pulls out a hairbrush. MacIntosh incorrectly assumes he pulled out a gun and shoots Khalil, killing him. When Starr is cuffed and taken into custody, she is able to get MacIntosh's badge number: 115.
While MacIntosh is placed on administrative leave, the killing becomes a national news story and causes a town-wide protest against what is believed to be an example of racial injustice. Starr's identity as the witness is initially kept secret from everyone outside her family; this leaves her friends, Hailey Grant and Maya Yang, and her boyfriend, Chriswho all attend Williamson Prepunaware of her connection to the killing.
Starr agrees to be interviewed on television and to testify in front of a grand jury. While defending Khalil's character during her interview, in which her identity is hidden, she names the King Lords, the gang that is the true scourge of her neighborhood. The gang retaliates by threatening Starr and her family, forcing them to move in with her Uncle Carlos, her mom's brother, who is a police detective.
Carlos was a father figure to Starr when her father, Maverick, spent three years in prison for a crime he confessed to. Following his release, Maverick left the gang and became the owner of the Garden Heights grocery store where Starr and her half-brother Seven work. Maverick was only allowed to leave the King Lords because his false confession to the crime kept gang leader King from being locked up. King, who is widely feared, now lives with Seven's mother Iesha, as well as Seven's half-sister Kenya, who is friends with Starr, and Kenya's younger sister Lyric.
After a grand jury does not indict MacIntosh, Garden Heights erupts into both peaceful protests and warlike riots. In reaction to the decision, Starr takes an increasingly public role, including speaking out during the protests. Her increasing identification with the people of Garden Heights causes tension with her school friends, especially between her and Chris. Starr and Maya start standing up to Hailey's racist comments, breaking up their friendship, while Chris remains supportive of Starr.
Starr and Seven get trapped in Maverick's grocery store, which is fire-bombed by King and his gang. The two escape with the help of Maverick and other Garden Heights business owners. The community stands up against King, who goes to jail. Starr promises to keep Khalil's memory alive and to continue her advocacy against police violence by "any means necessary".