One Night in Miami takes place on the night of February 25, 1964, when Malcolm X, Cassius Clay (before he changed his name to Mohammed Ali), Jim Brown and Sam Cooke shared a hotel room together following Cassius' big victory over Sonny Liston. The friendship between these men and their meeting on this night was real, though the details of what happened there are of course speculative and fictionalized.
Kemp Powers (who has another big film this year as the co-writer/co-director of Pixar's Soul) first wrote One Night in Miami as a play, and has adapted and expanded it for the screen. Regina King (star of HBO's Watchmen and Oscar winner for If Beale Street Could Talk) chose this as her directorial debut, and it's an impressive first film. While the one-room structure of the majority of One Night in Miami brings with it limitations, she keeps this stage-like set-up compelling, and the more cinematic sequences that bookend the film definitely show her potential for more stunning work in the future.
This is one of an ever-growing number of films posing important and challenging questions about racism in America. It also joins the likes of Honey Boy and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood as a fascinating examination of masculinity that happens to be directed by women. Each of the four main characters exemplifies a different archetype of positive Black masculinity: the passionate intellectual, the fun-loving fighter, the calm-yet-firm athlete and the savvy artist. While their different philosophies may drive each other crazy, they all have clear affection for one another and talk out their issues.
The actors are all great. If one has to pick a stand-out, Eli Goree (Riverdale, The 100) is a knock-out (pun intended) as Cassius, easily the most entertaining part of One Night in Miami. Malcolm X is sure to be a break-out role for British theatre actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, who carries the dramatic weight of a man known for his black-and-white convictions but who is nonetheless quietly questioning himself. Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton, Hidden Figures) has the most restrained role as Jim Brown, but nails his weary intelligence. Leslie Odom Jr. (Burr in Hamilton) as Sam Cooke is once again playing a self-interested man challenged to take a stand, though unlike Burr, he ends up on the right side of history (and yes, Odom's singing is great as always).
One Night in Miami is entertaining, thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. If its staginess holds it back from being a capital-G "Great" movie, its intelligence automatically puts it into the awards season conversation, especially in this strange year where audiences have been starved for new movies, much less ones this interesting. Definitely stream this one when it comes out.
One Night in Miami stars Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge and Leslie Odom Jr. Amazon Studios will release the film later this year.