In her previous film, Clemency, Nigerian-American director Chinonye Chukwu achieved brilliant drama from the psychological torments faced by state executioner, Bernadine – a memorable Alfre Woodard. For her third feature, Chukwu connects her lead character Mamie Till-Bradley with the wider world of activism and the emergent civil rights movement, through her landmark fight for justice after the murder of her son, a young Black teen in 1950s Mississippi.

Danielle Deadwyler is unforgettable as the woman whose comfortable Chicago life is upended by her son’s savage lynching, shortly after she had despatched him down south to his cousins, seeing him off with warnings of southern dangers. At first in deep mourning, then stirred into action by obvious injustice when she sees her son’s brutalized body, Mamie becomes a passionate activist for civil rights, enduring a courtroom drama aimed at convicting the guilty men. With exquisite period detail and terrific performances, Till grips right up to the closing credits, informing us of the 2022 change in US law.

There will be Open Captioned screenings at 13.00 on Tuesday 10th and 20.20 on Thursday 12th. Audio Description for visually impaired audiences is available across all screenings of Till upon request.

Notes by Alicia McGivern