Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- earnest
- tense
- serious
- historical drama night
- social justice film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film well-intentioned but limited by a problematic perspective and insufficient insight.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis move from adversarial activism and white supremacist leadership toward an altered relationship during the school integration fight.
The conflict is organized around a community meeting addressing school integration and requires opposing citizens to deliberate together.
The film portrays real civil rights activist Ann Atwater and her 1971 Durham campaign for school integration.
The film builds its central tension from the face-off between a Black civil rights activist and a Ku Klux Klan leader in segregated North Carolina.
Films like The Best of Enemies, and why
Remember the Titans
shared historical drama, racism depicted, and interracial relationship shaped by institutional segregation
The Help
shared civil rights-era setting, racial reconciliation themes, and earnest dramatization of social change
Hidden Figures
shared biographical drama, racism depicted, and morally conflicted white protagonists confronting segregation
Movie Details
- Director
- Robin Bissell
- Release Date
- 2019-04-05
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (501)
Cast
- Taraji P. Henson
- Sam Rockwell
- Babou Ceesay
- Anne Heche
- Wes Bentley
- Nick Searcy
- Bruce McGill
- John Gallagher Jr.
- Nicholas Logan
- Gilbert Glenn Brown
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Angel Studios, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Best of Enemies about?
- A civil rights activist and a Ku Klux Klan leader are forced into uneasy cooperation when a Durham community confronts school segregation.
- What is The Best of Enemies like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Best of Enemies as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Best of Enemies violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Best of Enemies as mild.
- What did critics think of The Best of Enemies?
- Critics broadly found the film well-intentioned but limited by a problematic perspective and insufficient insight.
- Which films are like The Best of Enemies?
- Films with a similar feel include Remember the Titans, The Help, and Hidden Figures.
- How long is The Best of Enemies?
- The Best of Enemies runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Best of Enemies?
- In United States, The Best of Enemies streams on Angel Studios, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
