Selma

PG-13

Released Jan 9, 2015

2 hr. 8 min.

History

Drama

TRAILER

for Selma: Trailer 1

List

99%

314 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for Blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated with President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Mar 19

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Paramount+

Apple TV

Watch Selma with a subscription on Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Fueled by a gripping performance from David Oyelowo, Selma draws inspiration and dramatic power from the life and death of Martin Luther King, Jr. -- but doesn't ignore how far we remain from the ideals his work embodied.

Read Critics Reviews

Helene T

It is a very powerful movie but

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/22

Full Review

Julien R

making a movie very slow and with drawn out shots, doesn't make for better drama or make the film more serious. Good to learn about the events tho

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/15/24

Full Review

Richard B

Outstanding acting. Gripping storyline and just a great movie. Really makes you think about the world before and the world now.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Alec B

Oyelowo is great as King and I like that the movie really tries to get inside his head.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/13/23

Full Review

Aaron S

A solid biopic about a story that is imperative to know and understand. The strength of this movie is two fold - the fantastic leading role of MLK Jr. played by David Oyelowo and the raw emotional resonance of what is at stake. While this is a good movie, it leaves a lot to be desired. For as charged and crucial as the subject matter here is, the film comes off a bit muted. It makes very milquetoast choices regularly throughout - everything from the writing, cinematography, and score don't properly extenuate the the weight of the story being told. You don't entirely FEEL the power of the moment that people are being murdered in the street when so much of the film is preoccupied with the political gesturing of the involved government leaders. That isn't to say that isn't an integral part of the story, it just robs the emotion from a lot of the movie. MLK's speeches are wonderfully recreated and are among the highlights of this good but not great historical biopic.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/15/23

Full Review

StephenPaul C

The greatest 02 hours: and 08 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!! However, 3 f-bombs!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Ava DuVernay

Director

David Oyelowo

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Tom Wilkinson

President Lyndon Baines Johnson

Carmen Ejogo

Coretta Scott King

Giovanni Ribisi

Lee White

Alessandro Nivola

John Doar

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Selma: Official Clip - Dr. King and President Johnson

2:13

Selma: Official Clip - Our Lives Are Not Fully Lived

2:02

Selma: Official Clip - The Fog of Death

2:04

Selma: Official Clip - The Wrongs Are Enormous

2:15

Selma: Official Clip - Soon and Very Soon

2:16

Selma: Official Clip - Arguing With the President

1:50

Selma: Official Clip - The Edmund Pettus Bridge Attack

2:12

Selma: Official Clip - We Shall Overcome

2:01

Selma: Official Clip - The March Begins

2:13

Selma: Official Clip - The Second March

2:13

View more videos

52%

76%

The Best of Enemies

TRAILER

for The Best of Enemies

19%

73%

Son of God

TRAILER

for Son of God

72%

78%

Lee Daniels' The Butler

21%

45%

Copperhead

44%

59%

Walking With the Enemy

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The 21 Most Memorable Movie Moments of the Past 21 Years: Vote for the Best Now!

21 Most Memorable Movie Moments: Crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma (2014)

Melanie Lynskey’s Five Favorite Films

Selma: Selma - All the Most Inspiring Scenes

6:32

Selma: Trailer 1

2:25

The March Across Edmund Pettus Bridge from ‘Selma’ | Rotten Tomatoes’ 21 Most Memorable Moments

3:06

View more videos

View more photos

Nijla Mu'min

Bitch Media

One of the most effective, well-crafted historical biopics that I've ever seen... giving us a moment in history that feels immediately familiar to the moment we are currently living in.

Jan 22, 2021

Full Review

Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

Excellent acting, very good directing, a good tight script -- a little bit of pacing issues and... other characters are nowhere near as investing as Martin Luther King is.

Rated: B+

Oct 5, 2018

Full Review

Simon Weaving

Sydney Morning Herald

If you don't mind the technical confusion it's a gripping story, and a great credit to DuVernay and co-writer Paul Webb who were unable to use King's original speeches for copyright reasons.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 4, 2018

Full Review

Savina Petkova

A Good Movie To Watch

With her uncompromising directorial approach, DuVernay crafts a thrilling period film that has all the markers of a well-done genre feature, but uses its mechanisms to tell an emotionally potent story.

Rated: 80/100

Nov 24, 2023

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

It’s the kind of film that can get lost in hagiography and simplification. Duvernay sidesteps with a nuanced, complicated portrait of [Dr. Martin Luther] King...

Apr 8, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

The majority of the movie serves as a forceful and unflinching reminder of the faith and courage shown by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 25, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for Blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated with President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Director: Ava DuVernay
Executive Producer: Brad Pitt, Cameron McCracken, Nik Bower, Diarmuid McKeown, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, Nan Morales
Screenwriter: Paul Webb
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Plan B Entertainment, Harpo Films, Cloud Eight
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Strong Language|A Suggestive Moment|Disturbing Thematic Material|Violence)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 9, 2015, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Mar 20, 2015
Release Date (Streaming): May 24, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $52.1M

Most Popular at Home Now