Malcolm X

"Scholar, convict, leader, disciple, hipster, father, hustler, minister, black man, every man."

1992 3h 22m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🍅

89%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.7

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 2,006🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes●73Metacritic★7.7IMDB · 110,202

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.

“Scholar, convict, leader, disciple, hipster, father, hustler, minister, black man, every man.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

YouTube TVSubscription

Starz Apple TV channelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Denzel Washington
Malcolm X
Angela Bassett
Betty Shabazz
Albert Hall
Baines
Al Freeman Jr.
Elijah Muhammad
Delroy Lindo
West Indian Archie
Spike Lee
Shorty
Theresa Randle
Laura
Kate Vernon
Sophia

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Spike Lee
Writers: Spike Lee, Arnold Perl, James Baldwin
Languages: Arabic, English
Countries: United States of America, Netherlands Antilles

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 202 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Arabic, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Netherlands Antilles.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

437+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Spike Lee, shot by Ernest R. Dickerson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Terence Blanchard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Barry Alexander Brown shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Spike Lee directs. Ernest R. Dickerson behind the camera. Terence Blanchard scores. Barry Alexander Brown cuts. A long sit — settle in. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America, Netherlands Antilles. Dialogue in Arabic, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 202 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Arabic, English.
4International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Netherlands Antilles.
5437+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
6Directed by Spike Lee, shot by Ernest R. Dickerson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Terence Blanchard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Barry Alexander Brown shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett and Albert Hall carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "Scholar, convict, leader, disciple, hipster, father, hustler, minister, black man, every man.".
11IMDB entry: tt0104797 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 29 themes, including "prison", "new york city", "police brutality", "beach".

The technical file

Cinematography: Ernest R. Dickerson
Original score: Terence Blanchard
Editing: Barry Alexander Brown
Production design: Wynn Thomas
Costume design: Ruth E. Carter
Makeup / hair: Clifford Booker
VFX supervisor: Randall Balsmeyer
Sound: Tom Fleischman
Stunt coordinator: Jeff Ward
Runtime: 202 min · 3h 22m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $34,000,000
Box office: $48,169,908
Return: 142% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Malcolm X (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 73/100
IMDB rating: 7.7/10 · 110,202 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 19 wins & 24 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Spike Lee

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-08-26
★ 7/10
I cannot imagine the hoops Spike Lee must have had to jump through to get any form of investment into either the concept or the production of this truly groundbreaking study of a man who divided opinion in a way few others have since the end of the Second World War. I say a study of man, but this is way more than just about him, it identifies and develops themes about inter and intra racial and gender attitudes and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. All of that said, it does struggle as a piece of entertainment. I don't mean to trivialise the subject matter, but if it wanted to be a documentary then it should have been more tightly focused on fact and less on the dramatisation of events, some real, some not. As a biopic, it kind of falls between two stools. We are presented with, essentially, a collective of unpleasant individuals who either started out that way, or were corrupted by the environments in which they existed and/or created - clearly illustrated, for example, by the way the women are treated by their husbands/bosses etc. This left me with an overwhelming feeling that had there been more general respect and decency on offer here - across the board - then a lot of the violence from both "sides" might have been avoided. It is a must see movie, but perhaps time has robbed it of much of it's potency and left us with a sad reflection of a time when vileness didn't care about your colour.

Production companies