In the Heat of the Night

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In the Heat of the Night

Released Aug 2, 1967

1h 49m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

96%

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91 Reviews

92%

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10,000+ Ratings

African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.

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Critics Consensus

Tense, funny, and thought-provoking all at once, and lifted by strong performances from Sydney Poitier and Rod Steiger, director Norman Jewison's look at murder and racism in small-town America continues to resonate today.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Fast and enjoyable... The cinematography by Haskell Wexler has an exciting, alive quality, and the good Quincy Jones score includes a title song sung by Ray Charles.

Jul 29, 2022

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Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

With its stellar slate of extras, which includes both sequels, and top-notch AV presentation, Kinos 4K release is now the definitive home video edition of In the Heat of the Night.

Apr 27, 2022

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Marjory Adams

Boston Globe

The two stars play their roles to the hilt. You don't feel they are trying to surpass each other. Rather, it seems Steiger and Poitier are acting together like a team, each with his eye on the ball every second and not missing a single chance to score.

Feb 3, 2022

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Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

The movie has all the tropes of the conventional murder mystery–dead body, colorful suspects, potential coverup–but everything leads back to the way this small-minded Southern town treats a Black detective from the North.

Rated: 4/4

Jun 2, 2025

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

These are two great performances that are strikingly opposite but snap perfectly together.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 12, 2025

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Even without the racial overtones that makes the film historic, "In the Heat of the Night" is a top-notch and superior mystery film and crime drama. That strength of story and intrigue only adds to the tangible racial tension of the setting.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 4, 2023

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Mitch B

I love the story, the acting and just how fast paced it was. For such a thought-provoking movie, I thought it e was also kind of fun as well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/10/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 49 minutes!!!!!!!!!! Starring Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

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Ava S

The racial tension affecting small-town America could've been explored more deeply, but upon its release, it struck the right balance, blending mystery with an unlikely team-up.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/22/24

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philip w

If you want to watch a first class film well you have found the one go for it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/08/24

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Roger T

I first saw this movie in the late sixties and was mightily impressed by it then - I watched it again last night and was amazed at how well it held up more than half a century later. Sidney Poitier and Rid Steiger play their parts extremely well. It's a movie that already and justifiably has a high place in movie history.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/24/24

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Jeff M

This was a tough watch for me because of the hatred and vitriol spewed toward Poitier before he even uttered a word to the citizens of Sparta. I've seen countless movies featuring racial bigotry and prejudice, but for some reason this one hit me harder than most. Perhaps it's because of my personal regard for Poitier the actor and human. As for the movie itself, I was not expecting the mystery and thriller aspects which caught me off guard and left me pleasantly surprised. Steiger won an Oscar for his role here, but I found the performance a bit histrionic, although he does have a couple nice quiet moments toward the end. For some reason, I was reminded of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD often during the movie, especially with the introduction of a character named Delores, who reminded me of MOCKINGBIRD's Mayella. The rapport between the two leads is strong if a bit predictable, and I enjoyed seeing Poitier and Beah Richards share the screen together for the second time in 1967 - they also appeared together in GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

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Norman Jewison

Director

Sidney Poitier

Virgil Tibbs

Rod Steiger

Bill Gillespie

Warren Oates

Sam Wood

Quentin Dean

Delores Purdy

James Patterson

Purdy, Delores' brother

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Synopsis

African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.

Director: Norman Jewison
Producer: Walter Mirisch
Screenwriter: Stirling Silliphant
Distributor: MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Mirisch Company
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 2, 1967, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 25, 2010
Runtime: 1h 49m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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