Regina Kings sensational directorial debut of One Night In Miami is nothing short of stunning. Coupled with a sublime cast and wonderful script, One Night In Miami is one of the best dramas you will find on streaming currently.
Set on the night of February 25, 1964, “One Night in Miami” follows a young, brash Cassius Clay as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center the new Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the sports world. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach to celebrate the match, Clay – unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws – spends the evening at the Hampton House Motel in Miami’s African American Overtown neighborhood celebrating with three of his closest friends: Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown. During this historic evening, these icons, who each were the very representation of the Pre-Black Power Movement and felt the social pressure their cross-over celebrity brought, shared their thoughts with each other about their responsibilities as influencers, standing up, defending their rights and moving the country forward to equality and empowerment for all black people. The next morning, the four men emerge determined to define a new world for themselves and their community.
A theatre play that still feels like that you’re sat in the stall seating but at the same time breaks the theatres boundaries into a broader world, is a triumph for Regina King. The films pacing is pretty much perfect and the cast dazzle throughout the movie. It manages to reel, you in, grabs you and is riveting for the entire run time to the point where you simply won’t want it to end.
The cast of Leslie Odom Jr. (Sam Cooke), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Malcom X), Eli Goree (Casius Clay) & Aldis Hodge (Jim Brown) are simply all Oscar worthy performances and we could see more than one of them appearing in various nominated categories during awards season. All of them absolutely inhabit their roles and you could be forgiven at times for believing you are watching a part documentary movie.
The film itself doesn’t bog itself down in being preachy either, which for such a subject matter it was rife for. Again plaudits to Regina King for managing to pull that off effortlessly and One Night In Miami is a stronger movie for it.
There’s no excuses not to watch One Night In Miami as its included on Prime Movies and you would be well rewarded adding it to your playlist as soon as possible. You won’t regret it.
