It had its world premiere at the American Black Film Festival on August 26, 2020. It was released on February 5, 2021, by Clear Horizon Entertainment and Vertical Entertainment, receiving mixed reviews from critics, however praising Till's performance.
Witnessing an attack on the Freedom Riders on May 19, 1961, Zellner helps Jessica Mitford get to safety. At first a passive supporter of the movement, Zellner goes on to become SNCC's first White field secretary. Facing suspicion at first from black SNCC activists, he proves his bona fides by protesting alongside them, narrowly escaping a lynching by rural, whitesoutherners while in McComb, Mississippi after a march to the county courthouse on October 30, 1961. Following the murder of Herbert Lee, Zellner decides to leave the movement and continue his studies in the North. After a violent confrontation with a former friend, who organized the attempted lynching, Zellner firmly changes course and then commits himself to the movement. The film ends with a montage of Zellner's activism during the '60s on civil rights, including a tribute to his mentor, the late John Lewis.
The film had its world premiere at the American Black Film Festival on August 26, 2020.[13] Before that, Clear Horizon Entertainment acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[14] On January 14, 2021, it was announced along with the release of the trailer, that Vertical Entertainment will co-distribute the film in the U.S. and release it in theaters and VOD on February 5.[15]
Reception
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes the film has a 61% rating based on reviews from 18 critics and an average rating of 5.7/10.[16] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 60 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[17] Till's performance received critical acclaim.
