Aaron Murray’s review published on Letterboxd:
The future fights the system. 3 lads in the face of extreme & violent social riots spend a day together living their lifes. The streets are littered with trash and the remains of burned cars surround them. The camera follows them with the editing representing their lives perfectly. Life can end in a flash from a bullet with these 3 lads but that's not what's on their minds right now. They just want something to do. They just want to live.
The camera follows them through Paris and it's practically a character in itself. Every shot in this is absolutely beautiful and perfectly encapsulates what makes La Haine so special. It's a social drama that isn't afraid to hit you over the head with metaphors and symbolism. I'm a big Shane Meadows fan and this no doubt would make a pitch perfect double bill with This Is England. They're in different parts of the world & have very different styles of direction yet they share so many of the same themes.
This was a film that was released 25 years ago and yet it feels more timely than ever. America is on fire as more & more open their eyes to the oppressive systems that plague the country. It's spreading across the world and in some ways, La Haine is exactly the kind of film the world needs to see. It's a utter masterpiece in every way and the brand new transfer from BFI is genuinely mind-blowing. If there's ever a time that the world needs to catch this one, it's right now.