The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
92%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 6 Oscars
57 wins & 190 nominations total
An actors’ showcase enlivened by its topical fact-based story, The Trial of the Chicago 7 plays squarely — and compellingly — to Aaron Sorkin’s strengths.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is like a history lesson, but with more drama and less snoozing. Aaron Sorkin’s direction and writing make the courtroom scenes feel like a high-stakes game of chess, and the ensemble cast brings their A-game. It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s definitely worth a watch, especially if you’re into political dramas or just want to see Sacha Baron Cohen in a serious role. Plus, it’s a good reminder that protesting and fighting for what you believe in is important, even if the system is rigged against you.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros. Pictures, Endeavor Content One Community
Distributor
Netflix
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix), Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout, some violence, bloody images and drug use
Year of Release
2020
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 9m
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Language(s):English, Latin, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2020 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 16, 2020
Genre(s)
History/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, directed by Aaron Sorkin, written by Aaron Sorkin, history, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Matthew Rozsa, David Sims, Tasha Robinson, Robbie Collin, Lindsey Bahr, Angie Han, David Gonzalez, Brian Eggert, Carson Timar, Leigh Paatsch, Maria Lattila, producer Stuart M Besser, Matt Jackson, Tyler Thompson, Marc Platt, MPAA rating R, Netflix, Dolby Digital, Scope (2.35:1), Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Bobby Seale, critic reviews, audience reviews, courtroom drama, protests, 1968 Democratic National Convention, conspiracy, federal government, drug use, bloody images, language throughout, some violence, English, limited release, streaming, runtime 2h 9m, distributor Netflix, aspect ratio Scope (2.35:1), ensemble cast, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Alex Sharp – Rennie Davis
Sacha Baron Cohen – Abbie Hoffman
Jeremy Strong – Jerry Rubin
John Carroll Lynch – David Dellinger
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Bobby Seale
Director – Aaron Sorkin
Producers – Stuart M. Besser, Matt Jackson, Tyler Thompson, Marc Platt
Writer – Aaron Sorkin
Director(s)
Aaron Sorkin
Writer(s)
Aaron Sorkin
Producer(s)
Stuart M. Besser, Matt Jackson, Tyler Thompson, Marc Platt
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 6 Oscars
57 wins & 190 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (334) | Top Critics (68) | Fresh (297) | Rotten (37)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 might be the ultimate movie about how to fight the far right — an artistic testament to pragmatism and a cry of rage in the era of Donald Trump and Derek Chauvin.
April 26, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Matthew Rozsa
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
By the end, I had given myself over to the Hollywood veneer. Chicago 7 is a particularly shiny rendering of history, but Sorkin wisely places the focus on America’s failings, even as he celebrates the people striving to fix them.
December 3, 2020
David Sims
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
As with all things Sorkin, it takes liberties with the truth – this is not a film to watch in place of reading up on the history – but it’s a damn good supplement for that history, and taken as a comment on our modern justice system.
December 1, 2020
Tasha Robinson
Polygon
TOP CRITIC
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is both a courtroom drama for the ages and an urgent shot across the bows.
November 20, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Robbie Collin
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
If anyone was born to make a film about the infamous federal trial surrounding the protests outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention, it’s Aaron Sorkin.
October 30, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
Lindsey Bahr
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
Chicago 7 is a crowdpleaser first and foremost, and in that regard it succeeds on almost every level… Just don’t expect it to be as revolutionary as some of those it calls its heroes.
October 24, 2020
Angie Han
Mashable
TOP CRITIC
While the term important film is overused, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is one of the years essential must-see films.
February 18, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
David Gonzalez
Reel Talk Inc.
Sorkin has tapped into something. Whether it’s called Capraesque or Spielbergian, the label denotes a film that accesses our emotions and ideological sympathies in simple but undeniable ways.
February 17, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
The Trial of the Chicago 7 might not be the most revolutionary film of the year when it comes to thesis, but its craft and basic effectiveness is undeniable.
February 12, 2022
Carson Timar
Filmotomy
[A] spirited and very entertaining affair…
September 3, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
As an ensemble piece, the film is exceptional, and it laments Sorkin as an interesting director, who still has much to learn in terms of visual storytelling.
August 10, 2021 | Rating: 5/10
Maria Lattila
The Digital Fix
Seems rushed and too close to the heart of the filmmaker to be more grounded in living history than in personal sentiment, but it has Mark Rylance to hold that balance.
July 31, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Milana Vujkov
Lola On Film…
Plot
In Chicago 1968, the Democratic Party Convention was met with protests from activists like the moderate Students for a Democratic Society led by Tom Hayden and the militant Yippies led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, which led to violent confrontations with the local authorities. As a result, seven of the accused ringleaders are arraigned on charges like Conspiracy by the hostile Nixon administration, including Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers who was not involved in the incident. What follows is an unfair trial presided by the belligerent Judge Hoffman (No relation) and prosecuted by a reluctant but duty-bound Richard Schultz. As their pro bono lawyers face such odds, Hayden and his fellows are frustrated by the Yippies’ outrageous antics undermining their defense in defiance of the system even while Seale is denied a chance to defend himself his way. Along the way, the Chicago 7 clash in their political philosophies even as they learn they need each other in this fight.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sacha Baron Cohen’s portrayal of Abbie Hoffman is described as “riotously funny” by Fresh Kernels.
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