Fruitvale Station

Play trailer

Fruitvale Station

R

Released Jul 26, 2013

1h 25m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

213 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Though he once spent time in San Quentin, 22-year-old black man Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) is now trying hard to live a clean life and support his girlfriend (Melonie Diaz) and young daughter (Ariana Neal). Flashbacks reveal the last day in Oscar's life, in which he accompanied his family and friends to San Francisco to watch fireworks on New Year's Eve, and, on the way back home, became swept up in an altercation with police that ended in tragedy. Based on a true story.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Passionate and powerfully acted, Fruitvale Station serves as a celebration of life, a condemnation of death, and a triumph for star Michael B. Jordan.

Read Critics Reviews

Fikri

Autostraddle

First-time director Ryan Coogler chose to tell Grant's story as a narrative instead of a documentary to centre his voice and his life, in the process raising important questions about police brutality and the value of black lives.

Jul 13, 2021

Full Review

Jenna Marotta

indieWire

Fruitvale Station offers no social remedies, but by recreating Grant's final hours, it actualizes him as a man, not just a rally cry.

Mar 31, 2020

Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

While Fruitvale Station is elevated by Jordan's portrayal, the supporting cast, whose characters surround Oscar even during his most internal struggles, is also magnetic to watch.

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2017

Full Review

Jeffrey Peterson

Indie Film Minute

Coogler’s Fruitvale Station is less about American violence and more about American vulnerability. Specifically, the lack thereof.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 1, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Minus a few small stumbles, which can be expected from a first time filmmaker, “Fruitvale Station” is still an emotionally powerful film that puts a spotlight on an unfortunate tragedy.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 21, 2022

Full Review

Jason Adams

My New Plaid Pants

For something attempting to be intimate, it's instead kind of smothering

Jan 14, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Calvin D

Powerful and thought-provoking film, superbly acted by the leads and supporting cast. The film is rendered more compelling by the actors' restraint and the director's reasonable, unhurried pacing. Even the soundtrack, sparingly used, provides an authentic resonance to whatever is happening or not happening on screen. The film plays more like a documentary than a feature film and is all the more effective because of it. Despite the emotional import of Oscar Grant's last day, the director never loses focus of an enduring maxim, well known to the overlooked and underserved, most of our days start off and play out unremarkably, even the ones that ultimately lead to tragedy.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

Full Review

Zain B

A great way to humanise the victims of barbaric oppressing structures. We need to see more movies which explore the very real suffering ordinary people face and how they end up on the doorstep of violence. A must watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

Full Review

KB B

This was such an awesome film with exceptional acting and storyline. Octavia Spencer was superb as usual. It's definitely worth the watch.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/12/24

Full Review

D M

What a powerful movie with equally a powerful message. I can't think of a single person who shouldn't see this movie. 👏🏼

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

Full Review

Christian K

Very effective at what it quickly and succinctly shows, a bullshit and avoidable tragedy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Gareth v

A powerful, unnerving film that at times is not easy to watch and packs a hell of a punch in it's 85mins. One of 2013's best movies

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/19/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Ryan Coogler

Director

Michael B. Jordan

Oscar

Octavia Spencer

Wanda

Melonie Diaz

Sophina

Ahna O'Reilly

Katie

Kevin Durand

Officer Caruso

View more videos

Beautiful Boy

71%

56%

Beautiful Boy

Watchlist

Manchester by the Sea

96%

78%

Manchester by the Sea

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Manchester by the Sea

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

77%

61%

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

Watchlist

Smashed

83%

68%

Smashed

Watchlist

Rust and Bone

82%

80%

Rust and Bone

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

30 Incredible 2010s Directing Debuts That Left Us Begging For More

10 Biopics To Watch Immediately

Now Streaming: The SpongeBob Movie, The Killer, Wayward Pines, and More

View more photos

Synopsis

Though he once spent time in San Quentin, 22-year-old black man Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) is now trying hard to live a clean life and support his girlfriend (Melonie Diaz) and young daughter (Ariana Neal). Flashbacks reveal the last day in Oscar's life, in which he accompanied his family and friends to San Francisco to watch fireworks on New Year's Eve, and, on the way back home, became swept up in an altercation with police that ended in tragedy. Based on a true story.

Director: Ryan Coogler
Producer: Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi
Screenwriter: Ryan Coogler
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Signature Productions
Rating: R (Some Drug Use|Language Throughout|Some Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 26, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.1M
Runtime: 1h 25m

Most Popular at Home Now