ONEFOUR: Against All Odds review: Introspective documentary leaves you unfulfilled

ONEFOUR: Against All Odds documents the rise of hip-hop group Onefour and the attempts of cops to stop them and their controversial music. The documentary is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Onefour are Australia’s first drill rappers. The hip-hop group consists of Spenny, YP, Celly, Lekks, and J Emz. Though they are considered the biggest hip-hop group in the country, the police won’t even let them do their own shows. Every single show they plan to do just gets shut down.

The kind of music Onefour does involves graphic descriptions of violence, including gang warfare. It is said that kids as young as 13 are joining gangs because of them and modeling themselves on the violent US rap culture.

The documentary captures the rise of Onefour, the neighborhood they grew up in, which is unlike how the world sees Australia, how music became their escape and gave them an opportunity to make something they are proud of, and how cops stopped them from pursuing their love for music.

Positives

ONEFOUR: Against All Odds sets up quite a hostile environment in its opening minutes. It gives viewers an idea of the kind of world they will be entering, which keeps them alert all the time.

The documentary gives viewers a general idea of the gritty world in which the members of Onefour grew up and where their music’s lyrics come from. The group’s story of how something like music can change one’s life is quite inspiring.

It also delivers on what is promised about a different side of Australia. The viewers do witness that and see Syndey like never before.

The documentary aptly captures the group’s meteoric rise, and one can’t deny that the music slaps. How the group took the world by storm is presented well, and it encourages people who don’t know about them to look up and listen to their music.

The group’s low points also hit viewers emotionally, and watching Onefour come back to their feet is a heart-pumping moment in the documentary.

Negatives

While the documentary film hints at the hostile environment in the beginning, it fails to keep the same feel for the rest of the run. Even though topics in this vein are discussed, the film more or less begins sounding like every other music documentary.

After hearing all the sides in the documentary, a viewer who is new to Onefour’s music is not completely educated about their music scene. The documentary isn’t deep, and one is left with the thought that there is a lot they have to learn about the drill music scene in Australia to understand Onefour better.

Verdict

ONEFOUR: Against All Odds covers the meteoric rise of the hip-hop group well. However, it only gives viewers a basic idea of the drill music scene in Australia.

By the end, a viewer does not feel satisfied after hearing the opinions of every other person interviewed in the documentary. It kind of leaves viewers empty and wanting to learn more in detail about the music scene and locality of Mount Druitt.

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