Marshall

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Marshall

PG-13

Released Oct 13, 2017

1h 58m

History

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

145 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Young Thurgood Marshall faces one of his greatest challenges while working as a lawyer for the NAACP. Marshall travels to conservative Connecticut when wealthy socialite Eleanor Strubing accuses Black chauffeur Joseph Spell of sexual assault and attempted murder. He soon teams up with Sam Friedman, a local Jewish lawyer who's never handled a criminal case. Together, the two men build a defense while contending with racist and anti-Semitic views from those who deem Spell to be guilty.

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Critics Consensus

Marshall takes an illuminating, well-acted look at its real-life subject's early career that also delivers as an entertainingly old-fashioned courtroom drama.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

This real-life case makes for an entertaining courtroom drama that nonetheless reduces Marshall to the level of Perry Mason and consigns to the end credits his greater triumphs arguing Brown vs. Board of Education and other landmark civil rights cases.

Mar 25, 2020

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Jesse Hassenger

AV Club

Marshall isn't so different from a well-made TV movie. But it plays well on the big screen anyway...

Rated: B-

Sep 14, 2018

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

The film does have the desired effects on the less demanding parts of the brain. And Marshall's story is one worth hearing.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 23, 2017

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

The film’s dramatized character study allows you to still absorb the complete measure of the man as if you were watching a masterful symphony.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 20, 2025

Full Review

Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

The movie is a solid, if unspectacular, piece of work, and a relief from the tired tropes of more traditional biopics.

Jul 21, 2021

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

For the most part, it transpires as if designed from the most standard of templates - with long odds, harsh opposition, and surprise witnesses.

Rated: 7/10

Dec 5, 2020

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Horror fan 4

A very well made movie and story filled with great performances. Bosman and Gads terrific chemistry fuels this movie. Tim Treakle

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/28/25

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Kyle M

Courtroom dramas this electrifying stem from intellectual preparation for a deftly spellbinding effect strengthened by impeccable performances, particularly Chadwick Boseman and Josh Gad’s dynamic at both their finest alongside Sterling K. Brown’s resonating edge, spiritedly overcoming the uncomfortably associated prejudices as part of highlighting a politically renowned legacy by directorial peak. (A-)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/25/24

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Matt H

I love a good court room drama but I really wish this film would have focused more on his entire life than just one specific case.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/24

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Florence M

I loved this film! I don't understand critics because it has superb acting, writing, editing, cinematography, and more.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

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Kyle E

A great courtroom drama but it feels similar to To Kill A Mockingbird

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/22/23

Full Review

Martha C

It was good. Well acted and uplifting. I just want to add an easily overlooked point. The photo of the real Sam Friedman shows him to be a rather good-looking and well-dressed guy, at least as much so as Thurgood Marshall. The handsome Black hero and the little Jewish sidekick is becoming something of a cliche, although I'll have to admit that turnabout is fair play.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/28/23

Full Review

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Reginald Hudlin

Director

Chadwick Boseman

Thurgood Marshall

Josh Gad

Sam Friedman

Kate Hudson

Eleanor Strubing

Sterling K. Brown

Joseph Spell

Dan Stevens

Loren Willis

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Marshall: Trailer 2

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Marshall: Trailer 1

2:20

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Synopsis

Young Thurgood Marshall faces one of his greatest challenges while working as a lawyer for the NAACP. Marshall travels to conservative Connecticut when wealthy socialite Eleanor Strubing accuses Black chauffeur Joseph Spell of sexual assault and attempted murder. He soon teams up with Sam Friedman, a local Jewish lawyer who's never handled a criminal case. Together, the two men build a defense while contending with racist and anti-Semitic views from those who deem Spell to be guilty.

Director: Reginald Hudlin
Producer: Paula Wagner, Jonathan Sanger, Reginald Hudlin
Screenwriter: Michael Koskoff, Jacob Koskoff
Distributor: Open Road
Production Co: Hudlin Entertainment, Chestnut Ridge
Rating: PG-13 (Sexuality|Mature Thematic Content|Some Strong Language|Violence)
Genre: History, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 26, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.0M
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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