What to Watch This Weekend: The Opening Act, More Halloween Horror (Broil, Mortuary Collection, Evil Eye, Nocturne), Time, Helpsters, Trial of the Chicago 7, Tomiris

For Those Looking to Follow Their Dreams (or For A Laugh) - The Opening Act (Theaters and Digital)

The Opening Act is a hilarious, entertaining, and highly personal coming of age story with a who's who comedy cast and a touching, universal message.  For more information, check out our review!

For Horror Fans Looking For A Meaty Film - Broil (Disc and Digital)

Broil is a feast for the senses, with meaty characters, a savory simmering style, and an accompaniment of sharp writing and full bodied music.  For more information, check out our review!

For Horror Fans Looking Style - The Mortuary Collection (Shudder)

The Mortuary Collection teaches some macabre lessons while telling some wonderful short horror tales that are dripping with both blood and style.   For more information, check out our review!

For Horror Fans With Family Issues - Evil Eye (Amazon)

Evil Eye is a slow burning character drama with a wonderful dynamic between Choudhury and Mani and a suspenseful finale.  For more information, check out our review!  

For Horror Fans Looking For Suspense and Madness - Nocturne (Amazon)

Nocturne's fantastic music, story, and characters create a slowly building symphony of suspense, obsession, and madness.  For more information, check out our review!

For Those Looking For Something Uplifting - Time (Amazon)

Time is a beautiful expression of perseverance, love, and faith and gives you a personal window into this amazing family's life and growth.  For more information, check out our review!

For History Buffs (And Action Fans) - The Legend of Tomiris (Disc and Digital)

The Legend of Tomiris tells the epic tale of the warrior queen with exciting, well choreographed action sequences, good acting, and epic music.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Kids - Helpsters Season 2 (Apple TV+)

Helpsters Season 2 continues the great format of Season 1 with more celebrity guests, musical guests, helpful plans, and important lessons for kids and adults to enjoy.  For more information, check out our review!

For Justice Seekers - The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells a relevant, raw story with amazing performances, strong storytelling, and a balance of serious subject matter with up tempo music and some comedic elements.  For more information, check out our review!

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Review: A Powerfully Relevant Historical Story

Release date: October 16, 2020
Running time: 129 minutes
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen

The Trial of the Chicago 7 takes us to the year 1968 where an intended peaceful protest at the Democratic Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. This resulted in its organizers, including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, and Bobby Seale being charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.  The movie details the incident and the trial that followed, which was one of the most notorious trials in history.

With there being many other forms of media including films, television shows, and even podcast that have already detailed this story I was curious as to how this would differ. Would it be a matter of new information or would it tell the story from another vantage point?  The answer here is it doesn't do much new, but it does it very well.  The film has a good command of the facts and retells the tale in a discernable way, while also slightly messing with the timeline.  Also, by adding a little comedic relief that doesn’t take away from the overall tone of the film, the movie makes the story more entertaining while leaving all the important information.  This star-studded cast brought these folks involved in this story to life in a way I haven't seen in any other adaptation.  Frank Langella who plays Judge Hoffman continues to showcase why he is an elite actor and was easily my standout with his performance that will certainly spark emotions from viewers.  And while this entire cast brings their A-game, what’s important is how everyone truly gets a chance to shine.

And some of the events that occurred during the trial are almost unspeakable acts, and this film does an amazing job of adding to the social commentary about this event and our culture in general.  The film absolutely is a slow burn but that slow development is necessary to lay down the facts and set the tone of the severity of theses event. Not to mention this slow development also gives you the opportunity to observe different vantage points including the events inside the courtroom, during the riot, and an interesting take on the retelling of the events.  And on top of that, halfway though the film, everything is taken up a notch including the drama, action, and the performances by all the main characters.

And although this film is a historical retelling, it is relevant to our society today.  With the current political and social climate in America today, this film will trigger emotions that are raw and relevant.  When viewed in the light of today's events, this film could cause viewers to feel strong emotions based on current events.  And thankfully, despite the serious subject matter, the score with its upbeat tempo and the occasional comedic relief in the film keeps it very balanced.

This powerful movie is filled with amazing performances and delivers a final scene that will give you chills, leaving viewers with a very memorable moment and phrase.  The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells a relevant, raw story with amazing performances, strong storytelling, and a balance of serious subject matter with up tempo music and some comedic elements.

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The Trial of the Chicago 7 is available to stream on Netflix starting October 16, 2020.