MLK/FBI

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2:28

MLK/FBI

2021

1h 42m

Documentary

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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.

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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.

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Soraya Nadia McDonald

Andscape

Mar 9, 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.

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Amon Warmann

Empire Magazine

Jan 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.

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Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

Jan 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

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Geoffrey Macnab

iNews.co.uk

Jan 16, 2025

4/5

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

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M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

Sep 11, 2022

4.5/5

A spellbinding work.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 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.

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p VanZandt

Jan 23, 2021

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

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 2, 2025

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

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Dallas H

@RT53171010 Jan 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?

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Jul 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

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Jan 1, 2022

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

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dave d

@RT34924333 Jul 2, 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

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MLK/FBI: Trailer 1

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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

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