One Night in Miami

If you could be a fly on the wall for a private conversation between four historic figures, who would you choose—and what do you imagine they would talk about? Amazon Studios’ One Night in Miami offers a surprisingly riveting answer to that hypothetical.

On February 25, 1964, Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) is crowned heavyweight champion of the world. Afterward, he gathers with Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) for what is supposed to be a celebration but quickly becomes a meeting of minds, bearing of hearts, and airing of grievances.

Virtually all of the drama comes from the fictionalized dialog between these black icons of the 1960s, who spar over what each is doing to advance civil rights. Cooke defends his decision to pursue financial success over activism. But in the end, it’s clear he is moved by his friends’ willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of causes they believe in.

Viewers leave feeling we’ve gotten a richer, more intimate portrait of all four men. What more could a fly ask for?