Netflix has been famous for their great movies. Once again they deliver with their newest movie project “Burning Sands.” This movie really gives a huge outlook on Historically Black Colleges and universities fraternities, and how pledges are treated in today’s society. The film first premiered in U.S. Narrative Competition at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, then was released to the public on Netflix on March 17th.

This movie is about a guy named Zurich Condoll (Trevor Jackson), who is an African American, and he attends Frederick Douglass University. He wants to join a famous African American fraternity. He’s so passionate about this fraternity that he goes through harsh initiation week named “Hell Week.”
Although he goes through this tough week, he goes through the week with the other pledges that want to be apart of the fraternity as well. This movie goes through the whole week, and shows the different tasks that they have to do. Also, Zurich has help from his teacher, Professor Hughes (Alfre Woodard). She gives him a paper to do about Frederick Douglass, but she is there for him when he needed to talk. Zurich didn’t really want her help, but learned from her statements in class. Even though he having help from others, Zurich and the guys were going through things that were terrible. For example, getting beer for the frat boys, getting beat up by the frat boys for making mistakes, getting hit with paddles, etc.

Even though the group of pledges went through four days of brutal obstacles, they had to go through a well-known night named “Hell Night.” This night canceled out the other days because it was terrible what the guys had to go through that night.
The director and writer of the movie, Gerard McMurray, didn’t just captured the fraternity life, he was able to go past that, and go into the college and social life for college kids. The movie takes you around the campus from the classroom, the party scenes, frat houses. McMurray really captured what the college life is about, which could be an eye opener for high school students.