Director: Kevin Willmott
Writer: Kevin Willmott, Trai Byers (Screenplay)
Starring: Trai Byers, Bashir Salahuddin, Aja Naomi King, Mo McRae, Tosin Morohunfola, Mykelti Williamson, Thomas Haden Church
Plot: It is the story of the all-black Twenty-Fourth United States Infantry Regiment, and the Houston Riot of 1917.
Runtime: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The 24th starts as we meet the black members of the 24th infantry regiment Boston (Byers) gets pushed up the ranks, becoming the first black man to arrest a white man for the murder of a black man. This will see the black soldiers follow his lead in standing up for themselves, with Col North (Church) expecting the soldiers to get the equal rights.
As the tensions between the races continue to rise, the racist white locals and police look to use the power they believe they have to take out the black men, but the soldiers aren’t going down without a fight.
Thoughts on The 24th
Thoughts – The 24th is the story behind one of many racist attacks put on the black men in America, ones that were willing to stand up for the country, regardless of what people thought of them, knowing if they fought together, they could help change the mindset. This is told in the typical way of the strict horrible white man piling on the pressure towards the black men, knowing they could get away with it, as they are forced to deal with it, knowing the consequences if they go against them. It shows a time where America was horrendously backwards and that another group of men will stand up for what is right, even if it meant grave consequences for them. The performances in the film are great, with writer lead Trai Byers standing out with his powerful lead performance. This will be seen as one of the more important stories that will highlight just how much had to be fought for to make a difference.
Final Thoughts – The 24th is an important drama, even if it unfolds the same as many others about needing to take a stand.
