One Night in Miami (2021) Review

This film has made its way to Amazon Prime and I have now had the chance to watch One Night in Miami and here is my review for it. The premise of the film is a fictional story of a night where Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, Cassius Clay and Jim Brown gather to discuss their impact on the civil rights movement. 

Main Character

Kingsley Ben Adir plays Malcolm X and I thought he was fantastic, he truly sells the militant aspect of the man and the way he is truly committed to the civil rights movement. Over the years the main focus has been on Martin Luther King Jnr and rightly so but it is nice to see more spotlight on Malcolm X and Adir nails it here and creates an interesting depiction and one where you can see the positives and the troubles with his mindset. 

Supporting Characters

Eli Goree plays Cassius Clay who as we all know became Muhammed Ali and he is also great. You really see Ali's personality and charisma come to life which makes him the most entertaining aspect here but Goree knows how to show his vulnerability at times and show the inner workings of Ali when it is needed here. Leslie Odom Jnr plays Sam Cooke and he is really great here, the confrontations between him and Malcolm X were the highlights of the film for me and Odom Jnr just shows how great an actor he is. After watching Hamilton we know he can sing and when given the chance he knocks the singing scenes out of the park and really feels like Cooke. Aldis Hodge plays Jim Brown and he also does a great job and when given time to shine he delivers though I do believe he is the one given the least to really do here which is a bit of a shame. 

Story

The story is way more interesting then I thought it would be, it basically sees these four iconic figures debating in a single room and these performances and subject matter really make it captivating and a story that you want to watch that feels like an interesting informative piece. The one thing is that I feel like the story doesn't wrap up that effectively, the ending falls flat and I feel like the film could have gone on longer and really wrapped the film up in a satisfying and great way but it does fall flat. 

Script

The script is really good, the dialogue hits some really heavy and dramatic notes and it makes you buy into the film and it really relies on these great scenes as the film is pretty simple in premise. There is also some humour that works and makes this situation and characters feel more real and like friends. 

Style 

The film has a great style, especially when you consider the majority of the film takes place in one room, it is directed really well and makes this room feel claustrophobic and like our characters are trapped in there having to be honest with each other.  But similar to the issue I have with the plot it feels like the last 10 minutes fall flat, I truly believe this could have been a 3 hour film and the film could have progressed where the film ended and really deliver a more epic story. 

Overall 

Overall, this is a great film with some truly brilliant acting and directing from first time director Regina King. It is a slower paced film but worth your time if you are interested in well acted films that look at real social issues. 

Rating - 8/10