ATL

Set in a working-class neighborhood of Atlanta where hip-hop and roller skating shape daily life, ATL follows four friends as they approach the end of high school and the choices that come with it. The story centers on Rashad, a seventeen-year-old raising his younger brother Ant after the death of their parents. While Rashad works long hours to keep them afloat and keep Ant out of trouble, Ant is drawn toward fast money and the wrong crowd. Their local rink, Cascade, is where Rashad and his friends gather, and where the pressures of family, romance and growing up come to a head.

The film is partly inspired by the early lives of Dallas Austin and Tionne Watkins, who formed the group Jellybeans. Christian Robinson directed, working from a screenplay by Tina Gordon Chism and Antwone Fisher, with Will Smith among the producers. T.I. leads as Rashad, alongside Lauren London, Evan Ross, Lonette McKee, Big Boi and Mykelti Williamson. Made for about 20 million dollars, it grossed roughly 21 million worldwide, a modest return. On IMDb it holds 6.2 from around 13,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7 from about 178 votes. A critics' rating of 6.1 from 84 reviews places it close to the IMDb audience score. It was the first of three features Robinson has directed, followed by Beats and Shooting Stars.