The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

"A life that launched a revolution, a death that remains a mystery."

2017 1h 45m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

🔥

97%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 107🍅97%Rotten Tomatoes●76Metacritic★7.2IMDB · 3,235

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Describing herself as a 'street queen,' Johnson was a legendary fixture in New York City’s gay ghetto and a tireless voice for LGBT pride since the days of Stonewall, who along with fellow trans icon Sylvia Rivera, founded Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.), a trans activist group based in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. Her death in 1992 was declared a suicide by the NYPD, but friends never accepted that version of events. Structured as a whodunit, with activist Victoria Cruz cast as detective and audience surrogate, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson celebrates the lasting political legacy of Johnson, while seeking to finally solve the mystery of her unexplained death.

“A life that launched a revolution, a death that remains a mystery.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

NetflixSubscription

Netflix Standard with AdsSubscription

Cast

Marsha P. Johnson
Self (archive footage)
Victoria Cruz
Self
Sylvia Rivera
Self (archive footage)
Taylor Mead
Self (archive footage)
Pat Bumgardner
Self (archive footage)
Vito Russo
Self (archive footage)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David France
Writers: Mark Blane, David France
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

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

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David France, shot by Adam Uhl. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tyler H. Walk shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marsha P. Johnson and Victoria Cruz and Sylvia Rivera carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A life that launched a revolution, a death that remains a mystery.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt5233558 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David France directs. Adam Uhl behind the camera. Bryce Dessner scores. Tyler H. Walk cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 9 years ago.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by David France, shot by Adam Uhl. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Bryce Dessner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Tyler H. Walk shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Marsha P. Johnson and Victoria Cruz and Sylvia Rivera carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A life that launched a revolution, a death that remains a mystery.".
8IMDB entry: tt5233558 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "new york city", "suicide", "drag queen", "investigation".