The Best of Enemies (2019) Movie Review

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The Best of Enemies – Movie Review

Director: Robin Bissell

Writer: Robin Bissell (Screenplay)

Cast

Taraji P Henson (Hidden Figures)
Sam Rockwell (Moon)
Babou Ceesay (Eye in the Sky)
Anne Heche (I Know What You Did Last Summer)
Wes Bentley (American Beauty)

Plot: Civil rights activist Ann Atwater faces off against C.P. Ellis, Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, in 1971 Durham, North Carolina over the issue of school integration.

Runtime: 2 Hours 13 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Best of Enemies starts by taking us back to 1971 in Durham, North Carolina. Civil Rights activist Ann Atwater (Henson) is continuing her fight for equality in the area. The latest issue is school integration, going against Ku Klux Klan member C.P. Ellis (Rockwell).

When the issue gets bigger, Bill Riddick (Ceesay) is brought in to try and help find a peaceful solution. This sees him create an open discussion between the two sides as they look for a solution.

Verdict on The Best of Enemies

The Best of Enemies is a drama that shows how two people from very different backgrounds are forced to work together. They must put aside certain differences to learn about who they are to find a solution. It shows how the battle for civil rights was filled with hatred toward another human for no reason.

This highlights how working together to find a solution will get a better solution than constantly fighting for what they think is right. The sad thing about this movie is that too much spotlight is placed on C.P. Ellis change over time. Not giving enough focus on what he was doing wrong in the first place.

Taraji P Henson and Sam Rockwell are wonderful to watch as always. The rest of the cast works well to help the movie flow well.

Final Thoughts – The Best of Enemies does put the focal point on an important issue, despite focusing too much on C.P. Ellis.