Selma

Ava DuVernays powerful film chronicles the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is a focused, urgent, and deeply human look at the strategic and personal challenges of the Civil Rights Movement. David Oyelowos performance as King is nuanced and vulnerable, capturing the man behind the icon.

The film excels at showing the collaborative nature of activism, highlighting the contributions of the many organizers and ordinary citizens who risked their lives for the right to vote. It is a vital, inspiring, and historically grounded piece of American cinema.