Sanaa Lathan

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself thinking about The Hate U Give while watching actor Sanaa Lathan’s feature directorial debut On the Come Up. Both films are based on best-selling YA novels by Angie Thomas, both are set in Thomas’ fictional Garden Heights neighborhood, and both center the stories of Black teen girls who must decide when and how to speak up for what they believe in. But On the Come Up stands on its own merits as a compelling look at what it means to be authentic and true to yourself as an artist.