We tend to think of the civil rights movement as a homogenous, unified coalition; a slow but steady campaign of progress. However, as the writer James Baldwin recalled in archive footage from Raoul Peck‘s documentary I Am Not Your Negro, the philosophies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, for example, differed greatly. Regina King’s directorial debut brings these tensions to vivid life in a talky, but engrossing stage adaptation that presents a fictional imagining of a real evening.

On February 25, 1964 the then Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) defeats Sonny Liston to become World heavyweight champion. Also in attendance are Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and two other African American icons, singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Cleveland Browns fullback Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).  Malcom summons the other three men to his hotel room. What is ostensibly a celebration becomes something of a summit as the four men discuss their careers and their responsibilities as black men of influence.

The protagonists are introduced in an opening section that is slightly clumsy, but highlights the sheer brilliance of the casting. Goree not only resembles Clay, but also nails his surprisingly nimble physicality and scattergun theatrics. Odom (Aaron Burr in Hamilton) is just about the match of Cooke in vocal prowess, and relative newcomer Ben-Adir is astonishing as Malcolm. Aldis Hodge gets the least showy role as the relatively taciturn Brown, but has tremendous presence, and his introduction is a gut punch example of the monumental edifice of racism that is still being chipped away one fleck at a time.

Once in the room the film really begins. One Night in Miami catches each man at a crossroads. Malcolm acts as an antagonistic spark for each of them to lay out their aspirations and their positions on race. The central philosophical question is the extent to which each has a moral responsibility to act as a role model for black advancement within their field. ‘Strike with the weapons that you have,’ Malcom goads. These are heady distillations of complex ideological questions, and the film does become inevitably a little bogged down. Still, there are flashes of genuine fire, particularly when Cooke is forced to defend himself from Malcolm who more or less accuses him of being an Uncle Tom. This clash essentially boils down the script to a particular dichotomy. Not one of active versus passive resistance as Baldwin noted of Malcolm and MLK, but of ideological opposition to racism versus assimilation through economic freedom. All hugely interesting but the risk, of course, is that such a dialogue-driven approach can lessen cinematic merit.

There has been some criticism of the film as too beholden to its stage origins. As playwright Kemp Powers has adapted his own work for the screen, this is perhaps not surprising. While the script is occasionally not as light on its feet as the twinkle-toed Clay, King does her utmost to maximise the confined space. Interesting camera angles, inventive blocking and body language that reflect the personalities of the four men are all employed. The ebullient Clay bounces on the bed, Brown sits Sphinx-like, and Cooke is often in defensive positions against walls under interrogation from Malcolm. King also takes the opportunity to escape the room when possible, such as Clay and Cooke taking off in search of snacks, and a flashback to Cooke entrancing a crowd with some bravura a capella.

While somewhat constrained by its origins, but much more cinematic than some have given it credit for, One Night In Miami is both a fantasy who’s who of 20th century icons and a study reminder that the questions it asks of them are as relevant today as they were in the midst of the struggle for civil rights. King, Powers, and their phenomenal cast give a compelling human glimpse beneath the mythology of these men, and it is this above all else that makes it such rewarding viewing.

Screened as part of BFI London Film Festival 2020 and on limited release from Fri 25 Dec 2020