MLK/FBI

Play trailer

2:28

MLK/FBI

2021

1h 42m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

126 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered today as an American hero: a bridge-builder, a shrewd political tactician, and a moral leader. Yet throughout his history-altering political career, he was often treated by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies like an enemy of the state. In this virtuosic documentary, award-winning editor and director Sam Pollard (Editor, 4 LITTLE GIRLS, MO’ BETTER BLUES; Director/Producer, EYEZ ON THE PRIZE, SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME) lays out a detailed account of the FBI surveillance that dogged King’s activism throughout the ’50s and ’60s, fueled by the racist and red-baiting paranoia of J. Edgar Hoover. In crafting a rich archival tapestry, featuring some revelatory restored footage of King, Pollard urges us to remember that true American progress is always hard-won.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

MLK/FBI presents a sobering overview of the American intelligence community's efforts to discredit and destroy a leader of the civil rights movement.

Read Critics Reviews

Soraya Nadia McDonald

Andscape

03/09/2021

While MLK/FBI is expansive and humane, it leaves room for a deeper and more concentrated look at Coretta Scott King as an individual who faced her own enormous challenges as a public figure.

Go to Full Review

Amon Warmann

Empire Magazine

01/22/2021

4/5

An eye-opening documentary that poses hard questions and gives no easy answers, MLK/FBI is a worthy addition to the ever-timely media concerning Martin Luther King Jr.

Go to Full Review

Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

01/22/2021

I don't know that MLK/FBI reveals anything new about its subject, but it clarifies & amplifies facets of his story in a timely way. It couldn't be more relevant, as a document of history or as a cautionary tale about balancing a public & private existence

Go to Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

iNews.co.uk

Jan 16

4/5

Future biographers will doubtless find rich pickings in the FBI tapes, but King’s towering legacy is bound to endure.

Go to Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

09/11/2022

4.5/5

A spellbinding work.

Go to Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

08/24/2022

4/5

Pollard doesn’t linger on the unknown. His film is about examining what we do know, highlighting the abuse of federal power to thwart a powerful national movement.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

p VanZandt

01/23/2021

Very informative, especially with all the political climate these days. I live documentaries anyways.

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 2

Real footage in 1 hour and 42 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $44,900.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

Dallas H

01/15/2024

I guess I was never paying attention during history class. But I did not know how closely the FBI was spying on King. And they were trying to extort him as a philanderer because they believed he was a plausible national threat?

See more

07/30/2022

I thought this was an interesting look inside the life of Martin Luther King as he leads his people to freedom while the FBI keeps close tabs on him. It thought it was also a dark period for Hoover plus the people of America for their treatment of King plus other African-Americans in the 60s. I look forward to Feb. 2027 when more tapes will be released of MLK by the FBI, but just seems strange we need to wait so long, similar to the JFK news releases

See more

01/01/2022

I'd recommend this movie for history buffs and any civil rights activists

See more

dave d

07/02/2021

Extremely slow and thorough and this documentary sometimes gets caught chasing its own tail, but overall this is an enlightening look at how bad our government is in the United States. The FBI was dirty, no surprise there, but how dirty will blow your mind. While I enjoyed this film, it was distracting for me to not see any talking heads. The decision to only include archive footage and audio from people interviewed recently was odd. Plenty to dig into with this one! Final Score: 7.4/10

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Sam Pollard

Director

David Garrow

Self

Donna Murch

Self

Marc Perrusquia

Self

Andrew Young

Self

Beverly Gage

Self

Desert One

88%

92%

Desert One

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Desert One

JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass

64%

78%

JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass

Watchlist

Her Socialist Smile

92%

%

Her Socialist Smile

Watchlist

My Name Is Pauli Murray

94%

81%

My Name Is Pauli Murray

Watchlist

TRAILER

for My Name Is Pauli Murray

Files on JFK

%

%

Files on JFK

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

MLK/FBI: Trailer 1

2:28

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered today as an American hero: a bridge-builder, a shrewd political tactician, and a moral leader. Yet throughout his history-altering political career, he was often treated by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies like an enemy of the state. In this virtuosic documentary, award-winning editor and director Sam Pollard (Editor, 4 LITTLE GIRLS, MO’ BETTER BLUES; Director/Producer, EYEZ ON THE PRIZE, SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME) lays out a detailed account of the FBI surveillance that dogged King’s activism throughout the ’50s and ’60s, fueled by the racist and red-baiting paranoia of J. Edgar Hoover. In crafting a rich archival tapestry, featuring some revelatory restored footage of King, Pollard urges us to remember that true American progress is always hard-won.

Director: Sam Pollard
Producer: Benjamin Hedin
Screenwriter: Benjamin Hedin, Laura Tomaselli
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Field of Vision
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 15, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 15, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $44.9K
Runtime: 1h 42m

Most Popular at Home Now