By As it stands, although nothing is certain when it comes to release dates, The Trial of the Chicago 7 will land on Netflix three weeks ahead of the 2020 presidential election on 3 November.
The film was originally due to get a theatrical release by Paramount but was picked up by the streaming service due to the ongoing uncertainty surround the pandemic. It is fortunate that it will be seen because, unlike likely lightning rod Judas and the Black Messiah, which has unfortunately been shunted into 2021, this protest drama looks like it might be the pre-election catalyst for change America desperately needs.
The film, which has been written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, has just got its first trailer, which shows uncomfortable parallels between Sixties America and the country's current instability as we see tear gas in the streets and protesters chanting "the whole world is watching".
The story is based on the peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention which turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. Protest organisers, including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Lee Weiner and John Froines, were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history. Another man, Bobby Seale, had his trial severed during proceedings, changing the group from the Chicago 8 to the Chicago 7.
The cast includes Sacha Baron Cohen as Hoffman, Jeremy Strong as Rubin and Eddie Redmayne as Hayden, as well as key roles for Michael Keaton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Mark Rylance. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays the exonerated Bobby Seale while Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays activist and chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton.
The film is an intriguing gear change for Sacha Baron Cohen as he moves from the caustic comedy he is known for to something more cerebral, though no doubt the outspoken satirist will be as cutting as ever. It also marks a return to political dramas for Aaron Sorkin, best known for creating the gripping Oval Office series The West Wing which aired from 1999 to 2006. Sorkin in fact wrote a script surrounding the Chicago 7 trial back in 2007 but it was continually delayed until recently, perhaps the perfect moment for a film about governments obstructing justice, a manipulated legal system, fractured race relations and the right to peaceful protest.
The film could be exactly the grenade the country needs to ignite debate ahead of the election, but hardboiled dramas are no longer the golden ticket for awards season success that they used to be. Though this looks like exactly the narrative needed to ignite a fire in people, the audience might just be too divided to hear it.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is on Netflix 16 October
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