And then it tells the story of a mother who fought for justice for her son.
In "Till," Danielle Deadwyler plays Mamie Till-Mobley. She's a concerned Chicago mother in 1955 whose teenage son is taking a trip to see his Mississippi cousins. Once there, he's accused of flirting with a white woman.
He doesn't make it home alive. His mother makes it her mission to show the world what happened to her son -- beginning with an open casket funeral. Playing Mamie has left its mark on the film's star.
"I had to do a lot of things to seek recovery individually and amongst community. It's just something you don't go into very lightly," said Deadwyler. "And it'll be one of those things that will be with me for the rest of my life in myriad ways."
"She is a revelation. She is transformative. And she really channeled Mamie's spirit in this film," director Chinonye Chukwu said of Deadwyler's performance.
Jalyn Hall, who plays Emmett in the film, appreciated what this taught him.
"It's more than any history book can teach you when you're learning this information firsthand, and it was an amazing, an amazing experience for knowledge," he said.
"Till" is rated PG-13 and goes into wide release this weekend.