One Night in Miami Review: I Was Always This Person

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One Night In Miami is a really good movie that is right up the alley of history buffs and anyone who enjoys civil rights dramas.

What Happens in One Night in Miami?

Based on a true story, One Night in Miami follows the story of four main characters: Malcolm X, a vocal activist and a member of the Nation of Islam, Sam Cooke, a singer and songwriter, Jim Brown, an NFL star turned actor, and Cassius Clay, a heavyweight boxer.

At the beginning of the movie, all these characters lead separate lives as they travel through the obstacles life gives them. All their paths cross at once when they all meet for the night of Cassius’ final for the heavyweight championship. After the emotional victory, the four friends return to their hotel room, and arguments break out.

Who Are The Characters in One Night in Miami?

Cassius Clay, a boxer who will one day be known as Muhammad Ali, is considered one of the best boxers in the world. After winning a match and becoming the world heavyweight champion he plans on celebrating with his friends that night, and he also has an announcement about his faith that he is anxious to announce.

Malcolm X is a Muslim activist who has been preaching strong action by the black community to end their oppression. Although he is not well-liked by the government or the majority of white people due to his strong words and opinions, he has hopes that he will inspire his friends to take action and join him.

Jim Brown is an NFL star who is just coming off of a record-setting season with the Cleveland Browns. Jim is known for using his position as a famous football player to advocate for black rights. Sam Cooke is a famous singer who is the most financially successful of the four and has the best relationship with white people. This relationship creates a bit of strain between Sam and the others, especially Malcolm as he feels Sam could do more.

One Night in Miami Review

This is a slow-paced and dialogue-heavy film that I thoroughly enjoyed. For one I like movies that include real people or events and while the events of this film are fictional the people who are our protagonists are real and they did, in fact, meet in Miami but it is unknown what they truly discussed.

From my limited knowledge of these famous figures, I felt that the actors gave an accurate portrayal of the historical icons and made them each feel relatable and you could easily see each one’s point of view. The film definitely has a larger focus on Cassius and Malcolm though it does a pretty good job balancing all four people and letting them have many interactions with one another.

The main intrigue, at least for me, came from the differing opinions between Sam and Malcolm and their arguments kept me engaged throughout. This movie isn’t a plot-focused story as it mostly takes place in a motel room but it is more so about the interactions of these four opinionated people.

The movie deals with some real social issues that plagued the United States and the world back in the ’60s and continue to be issues such as racism and the oppression of minorities. I think it handles these subjects with well-thought-out discussions that bring to light that while the four have different methods, they are fighting for the same thing.

As someone who enjoys history and is interested in civil rights this movie works for me but I could see some have complaints due to the slow pace and the character, rather than the story-based, narrative.

All in all, One Night in Miami is a really good movie that is right up the alley of history buffs and anyone who enjoys civil rights dramas. So if you are on Amazon Prime and looking for a drama that deals with some real-world issues and has some historical figures, this might be the film for you. If you only have Netflix, might I suggest Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. This is another movie that takes on social issues, with a slightly different lens.