The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is nothing short of masterful, the culmination of everything Sorkin has been building since A Few Good Men. His writing is sharp and eloquent, and the characters talk the way you wish real people would, with intelligence and fire. The film works both as a taut courtroom drama and as pointed social commentary on free speech, protest and a justice system that can be weaponized against the people it is meant to protect.

The ensemble is extraordinary. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is riveting as Bobby Seale, Mark Rylance brings quiet authority as William Kunstler, and Frank Langella’s openly biased Judge Hoffman is infuriating in the best possible way. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the prosecutor with admirable restraint, and Michael Keaton makes a strong impression in limited screen time. Every actor finds the heartbeat of their role.

The film carries the impact of classics like The Verdict, and it feels both timeless and urgently of the moment, a reminder that the fight over who gets to speak and who gets silenced never really ends.